ᐅ Solid Construction House: Which Type of Brick or Block?

face26 schrieb:

For a homeowner who doesn’t have any special requirements and just wants to have a “sensible” little house built, the choice should mainly depend on price-performance ratio, regional factors, and especially the contractor.

By price-performance ratio, you probably mean the thermal transmittance value, or U-value, right?

face26 schrieb:

…but we could also point out to the original poster the breathability and vapor permeability of different materials to confuse him even more.

Sure, bring it on, I think you can never read too much before deciding on a specific type of brick.

Yes, fundamentally the question is whether an insulation material (perlite or mineral wool) settles over the years and therefore provides poorer insulation at the top edge of the brick or not.

@11ant Do you mean mineral wool or also perlite bricks when you say “creme slices”? Why don’t you think highly of them? They logically have better insulation values / U-values than the air-filled cavities that were commonly used several years ago.

Even if mineral wool could theoretically compress over time, this shouldn’t really be a practical issue. The key point is the air gap fixings. They not only hold the brickwork in place but also support the mineral wool. Besides, a significant amount of water would have to enter first, which the air gap also provides some protection against.

pffreestyler schrieb:

Even if mineral wool could theoretically compress over time, this shouldn’t really be an issue in practice, right? The key point is cavity wall ties. They don’t just hold the outer brick layer, but also support the mineral wool insulation. Besides, a significant amount of water would have to get in first, which the cavity space also partially protects against.

I wasn’t familiar with cavity wall ties and had to look up the term. If I understand correctly, they are used in external insulation systems? Here, it’s about the mineral wool installed within the air chambers of Unipor-type bricks.

pffreestyler schrieb:

Even if mineral wool could theoretically settle, this shouldn't really be an issue in practice, right?!

The insulation’s effectiveness is lost if the insulation wool gets wet and, above all, stays wet—regardless of whether it is still evenly in contact with the wall or not.

ludwig88sta schrieb:

By price/performance, you probably mean the U-value, right?

That depends on your requirements; most people initially think of the insulation value. However, soundproofing, structural stability (rarely relevant for single-family homes), etc., can also be factors.

Maybe first consider where you want to head. Meeting energy saving regulations, KFW55 standard, Passive House? What is important to you—ecology, cost-effectiveness?

If you want to build monolithically, the higher you build, 36.5 cm (14.4 inches) bricks won’t be sufficient anymore, or you may have to spend a lot more. Always remember, the brick is just one factor among many: roof construction, foundation or basement insulation, windows, etc. It’s a combination.

As I said, if you’re not too fixed on one system because you want something very specific, I wouldn’t lock yourself in. And if your preferred builder B usually builds with brick S and S also has a reasonable pricing for you… don’t stress yourself too much.

ludwig88sta schrieb:

Sure, bring it on, you can never read too much before deciding on a certain brick, in my opinion.

That wasn’t entirely serious. Those are more like sales myths, but if you want to hear a few more:

- Nothing lifts on aerated concrete, and sound insulation is very poor because it lacks mass.

- Hollow bricks with the small ribs fall apart easily; everything breaks and nothing lifts.

- Filled bricks have such large cavities that nothing lifts.

- Bricks with perlite the perlite just falls out.

- Bricks filled with mineral wool settle, can’t be kept dry during construction, so the insulation effect is lost, and almost everyone who built with them had significantly higher heating costs afterwards.

- Bricks are bad anyway because they are not breathable. Prefabricated timber frame houses diffuse moisture, actively “breathe,” regulate humidity and gases independently.

- Bricks do diffuse moisture because they are natural products.

- External thermal insulation composite systems (ETICS) are hazardous waste.

- Woodpeckers nest in ETICS.

...oh, there are quite a few more like that.

I am currently considering using insulated bricks with mineral wool but am concerned about mold growth. Do you have any opinions on this?