ᐅ Survey: Which Building Material/Construction Method Did You Choose?
Created on: 12 Dec 2018 22:28
M
Mycraft
I would like to conduct a non-representative survey, just out of curiosity, to see what has been built in recent years and what is planned for construction soon.
Thank you very much for participating.
Thank you very much for participating.
That's how it is.
And if you look back to earlier times, there are very old stone walls, brick houses, stave churches, timber-framed houses, and so on. It’s all a matter of maintenance; then it can last for centuries. In Trier, there are structures that have been standing for thousands of years. K.
And if you look back to earlier times, there are very old stone walls, brick houses, stave churches, timber-framed houses, and so on. It’s all a matter of maintenance; then it can last for centuries. In Trier, there are structures that have been standing for thousands of years. K.
Hello everyone,
I have experience with different construction methods. I started in 1994 with calcium silicate bricks and external thermal insulation composite systems (ETICS), then in 2001 with hollow clay bricks and ETICS, and in 2008 with aerated concrete on the outside and calcium silicate bricks on the inside.
If I were to build again now (you should never say never), I would choose aerated concrete for the exterior and calcium silicate bricks for the interior. Attaching a kitchen cabinet with two 8mm (0.3 inch) screws to the wall and loading it with 50kg (110 lbs) is absolutely no problem.
In the beginning, I also tried using anchors with the aerated concrete blocks (I tried to fix my stainless steel external chimney that way) but then gave up and switched to chemical anchors. Nowadays, I only use chemical anchors in aerated concrete for anything that might bear some weight. For lighter items, I simply drive in a 90 x 3.5mm (3.5 x 0.14 inch) wood screw directly into the wall without an anchor, and it works perfectly.
And finally, I bought an ‘old house’ that I’m renovating gradually. It was built in 1692, a timber-frame construction filled with sandstone. Apart from the parts that have been ‘modernized’ over the last decades, the building is in excellent condition (if you can say that about a house over 300 years old).
Over the years, my predecessors have tried various approaches to improving its energy efficiency. Since it is a listed monument, improvements can only be made on the inside, and those with sustainable results. The contractors tried everything possible: insulation, wooden or drywall cladding, and so on. In most places, there was mold and the timber was completely rotten. Of an original 30cm (12 inch) beam, only an 8cm (3 inch) solid core remained. Where no work was done, the old wood is still in great shape. There is some draft and the heating runs a bit more, BUT that is manageable. What I want to say is that every building material has its own requirements and characteristics that you need to understand and maybe even appreciate.
I have experience with different construction methods. I started in 1994 with calcium silicate bricks and external thermal insulation composite systems (ETICS), then in 2001 with hollow clay bricks and ETICS, and in 2008 with aerated concrete on the outside and calcium silicate bricks on the inside.
If I were to build again now (you should never say never), I would choose aerated concrete for the exterior and calcium silicate bricks for the interior. Attaching a kitchen cabinet with two 8mm (0.3 inch) screws to the wall and loading it with 50kg (110 lbs) is absolutely no problem.
In the beginning, I also tried using anchors with the aerated concrete blocks (I tried to fix my stainless steel external chimney that way) but then gave up and switched to chemical anchors. Nowadays, I only use chemical anchors in aerated concrete for anything that might bear some weight. For lighter items, I simply drive in a 90 x 3.5mm (3.5 x 0.14 inch) wood screw directly into the wall without an anchor, and it works perfectly.
And finally, I bought an ‘old house’ that I’m renovating gradually. It was built in 1692, a timber-frame construction filled with sandstone. Apart from the parts that have been ‘modernized’ over the last decades, the building is in excellent condition (if you can say that about a house over 300 years old).
Over the years, my predecessors have tried various approaches to improving its energy efficiency. Since it is a listed monument, improvements can only be made on the inside, and those with sustainable results. The contractors tried everything possible: insulation, wooden or drywall cladding, and so on. In most places, there was mold and the timber was completely rotten. Of an original 30cm (12 inch) beam, only an 8cm (3 inch) solid core remained. Where no work was done, the old wood is still in great shape. There is some draft and the heating runs a bit more, BUT that is manageable. What I want to say is that every building material has its own requirements and characteristics that you need to understand and maybe even appreciate.
Hello,
we have decided on a cavity wall construction (calcium silicate brick with cavity insulation and facing brick). All interior walls are also made of calcium silicate brick, with the load-bearing walls being 17.5 cm (7 inches) thick and the non-load-bearing walls 11.5 cm (4.5 inches) thick.
What we like about this is the clear separation of functions: the facing brick protects the exterior facade, making it more resistant to external influences and easier to clean, while the calcium silicate brick provides stability and mass.
In our previous rental apartment before last, we had aerated concrete walls, and at one point, without any external influences, a living room wall cabinet detached from the wall because the screw and wall plug broke out of the wall.
In our current rental apartment, we also have aerated concrete walls; nothing like that has happened so far, but all wall-mounted cabinets are very securely fastened.
Drilling into aerated concrete is almost effortless, which always makes me uneasy and doubtful about whether the mounting will hold or if I have properly sized everything.
This is certainly a personal issue related to the incident we had in the previous rental.
Whether things will be better with calcium silicate brick, I can only say once we have moved into the new house.
If we were to build again, we would probably opt to have all interior walls made with a thickness of 17.5 cm (7 inches).
we have decided on a cavity wall construction (calcium silicate brick with cavity insulation and facing brick). All interior walls are also made of calcium silicate brick, with the load-bearing walls being 17.5 cm (7 inches) thick and the non-load-bearing walls 11.5 cm (4.5 inches) thick.
What we like about this is the clear separation of functions: the facing brick protects the exterior facade, making it more resistant to external influences and easier to clean, while the calcium silicate brick provides stability and mass.
In our previous rental apartment before last, we had aerated concrete walls, and at one point, without any external influences, a living room wall cabinet detached from the wall because the screw and wall plug broke out of the wall.
In our current rental apartment, we also have aerated concrete walls; nothing like that has happened so far, but all wall-mounted cabinets are very securely fastened.
Drilling into aerated concrete is almost effortless, which always makes me uneasy and doubtful about whether the mounting will hold or if I have properly sized everything.
This is certainly a personal issue related to the incident we had in the previous rental.
Whether things will be better with calcium silicate brick, I can only say once we have moved into the new house.
If we were to build again, we would probably opt to have all interior walls made with a thickness of 17.5 cm (7 inches).
Tom1607 schrieb:
Hello everyone,
I have experience with various types of construction methods. I started in 1994 with sand-lime brick and external thermal insulation composite systems (ETICS), then in 2001 with perforated bricks and ETICS, and in 2008 with aerated concrete on the outside and sand-lime brick on the inside.
If I were to build again today (you never say never), I would use aerated concrete for the exterior and sand-lime brick for the interior. For example, mounting a kitchen cabinet with two 8mm (about 5/16 inch) screws anchored into the wall and loading it with 50kg (110 lbs) is absolutely no problem.
At first, I also tried using anchors for the aerated concrete blocks (I tried to fix my stainless steel external chimney that way) but eventually gave up and switched to chemical anchors. By now, I only use chemical anchors to secure anything heavy in aerated concrete. For lighter items, I simply drive a 90mm x 3.5mm (3.5 inch x 1/8 inch) wood screw directly into the wall without any anchor, and it works perfectly.
And last but not least, I bought an 'old house' that I am gradually renovating. Built in 1692, it is a timber-frame structure filled with sandstone. Except for the parts that were 'improved' over the last decades, the building is in great condition (if you can say that about a house over 300 years old).
In recent decades, my predecessors have attempted various measures to improve its energy efficiency. Since it is a listed building, only internal improvements are allowed, and these have to produce sustainable results. People tried everything. They insulated, installed wood or drywall (gypsum board) lining, etc. In most areas, there was mold, and the timber was completely rotted. Beams that originally measured 30cm (12 inches) thick had only an 8cm (3 inch) solid core left. Wherever no modifications were made, the old wood remained in excellent condition. The house does draft a little and the heating runs a bit longer, BUT that’s manageable. The point I want to make is that every building material has its needs and characteristics that you have to know and, perhaps, accept.
This also became apparent during the demolition phase. Where the original materials were left intact, the building fabric was sound; where newer materials met the old ones, dry rot appeared.
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