ᐅ Which Type of Brick or Block to Use for Solid Construction

Created on: 4 Mar 2019 16:06
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Petey01
Hello everyone,

We are currently planning the construction of a solid brick house (urban villa with 160 sqm (1722 sq ft)), with two full floors plus a basement, without KfW funding. The standard option with the general contractor includes 36.5 cm (14 inches) porous S9 bricks without integrated insulation (Lambda value 0.09) with a two-layer plaster, no external thermal insulation composite system (ETICS) => U-value 0.23 W/(m²K).

Now we have the option to choose TV7 bricks (Lambda value 0.07) with integrated insulation instead, for an additional cost of nearly 5000 euros => U-value 0.23 W/(m²K).

Is this additional cost worth it?

It is also not yet decided whether to install a ventilation system with heat recovery (additional cost 7000 euros). Our concern here is not the comfort it provides but really the efficiency and cost-benefit factor. Is a ventilation system really necessary to avoid moisture problems? I am not asking about the comfort of ventilating three times a day, but rather whether anyone has experienced mold issues in a relatively new house due to the absence of a ventilation system, especially if windows were only opened once or twice occasionally.

Thank you in advance for your information and opinions.
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Lumpi_LE
22 May 2019 11:12
Perhaps revise the wording once more? It's not really clear what is meant. Noise insulation is important? Thermal insulation must be met anyway. The best noise insulation is provided by calcium silicate bricks or concrete.
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Susanne N.
22 May 2019 11:23
Since we are buying a plot of land near the railway, I want to somehow reduce the noise. I want to have some quiet inside the house. Therefore, I would like to know which building material is best suited for this purpose. (I have read that aerated concrete is not good for sound insulation).
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Susanne N.
22 May 2019 11:49
Nordlys schrieb:

Sand-lime brick.
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Nordlys
22 May 2019 11:50
Exactly. It has mass instead of air, which dampens sound, and it is combined with an external thermal insulation composite system or brick veneer.
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Susanne N.
22 May 2019 14:00
Nordlys schrieb:

Exactly. It has mass instead of air, which dampens sound, and is combined with an external thermal insulation composite system or facing brick.
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Susanne N.
22 May 2019 14:04
Thank you very much for your reply. Do you happen to know if they are even better than filled bricks or not? And are they also expensive?