ᐅ Masonry / Exterior Walls: Different Construction Options – Which Wall System Is the Most Practical?

Hello everyone,

We are currently building a single-family house. The house will measure 6.7 x 12 meters (22 x 39 feet). Since the house will only be 6.6 meters (22 feet) wide, I wanted to keep the exterior walls as thin as possible. Now I have received several options from the structural engineer. I would like to hear your opinions and recommendations on these options.

Options:
1. 24 cm (9.5 inches) hollow brick + 10 cm (4 inches) insulated render system (U-value 0.27)
2. 20 cm (8 inches) sand-lime brick + 14 cm (5.5 inches) insulated render system (U-value 0.22)
3. 15 cm (6 inches) sand-lime brick + 10 cm (4 inches) insulated render system (U-value 0.30)
4. 30 cm (12 inches) aerated concrete block with plaster (thermal resistance approximately 0.09) (U-value 0.28)

I should also mention that I need windows with a U-value of 0.85, meaning triple glazing, low-emissivity coating, and warm edge spacer.

Which wall option do you think makes the most sense?

I have an appointment with the architect regarding this tomorrow but wanted to gather several opinions beforehand.

Thanks in advance.

Regards

Hello märander,

When it comes to building materials, you can’t really say one is definitively "better" or "worse." What is important, however, is that the better the thermal insulation, the lighter the wall becomes, which usually means the sound insulation quality decreases.

The best approach is to find a balanced compromise: the load-bearing wall should not be too thin but as heavy as possible, and the cavity wall insulation should be as thick as possible. Version 2 fits this idea well. Installing heavier (triple-glazed) windows requires enough edge distance for the anchors, so the load-bearing wall should not be planned too thin (and too light) for this reason as well.

Discuss the balance between thermal insulation and sound insulation carefully with your architect.