Aerated concrete or foam block? Characteristics of materials

Before the erection of your own home, you will in any case have to decide the question of what kind of building material you will use. In this article, we will try to decide which of the two materials is better: aerated concrete or the usual foam block. Their characteristics are similar, so the choice can be difficult to make.

In many ways, these two materials are very similar, since the foam block is one of the types of aerated concrete. For the volume, special dilators such as coal ash are added to it.

The pores appear in it not because of the fact that it is pumped with air (as amateurs think), but by adding special reagents to it, which emit various gases. Due to its high porosity and low mass, the material is characterized by excellent thermal insulation properties and the ability to absorb noise. That is why the foam block, the characteristic of which it confirms, is an excellent building material.

And now we will deal with aerated concrete. Its structure is in many respects similar to that of its predecessor. The difference is that it is manufactured using a completely different technology. In particular, aluminum powder is responsible for the formation of air pores, which reacts with other components of the material. The finished mixture for blocks is poured into special shapes, in which the aerated concrete is cut using strings.

After cutting, the trays are driven into autoclaves, where, under high pressure, almost all moisture is drained from them. Well, foam blocks, the characteristics (the price, for example) of which are about the same, do not require such thoroughness in manufacturing, why they manage to create even at home.

As a result, aerated concrete by weight does not differ from a foam block, and other characteristics are similar. However, strength indicators in his somewhat better. However, the hygroscopicity of aerated concrete is much higher. Other things being equal, in an important environment, it resembles a sponge: water soaks up at such a rate. Of course, for a finished building this is not a very good property. Therefore, the foam block, the characteristic of which is much better in this respect, can be used even for the construction of baths.

In the end, we can say that these materials have a lot of similarities. Of these, you can successfully build houses of various purposes and characteristics. By their thermal conductivity, they are comparable to natural wood, and the same brick is many times over. But, as we said, foam blocks (characteristics that can be very different) absorb moisture much less, which makes it possible to reduce the cost of finishing the finished house.

If you decide to build your house out of aerated concrete, then even after the delivery from the plant the material should be dried properly to remove excess moisture. Specialists say that gas blocs are best kept in an open area for at least a year. When building it is necessary to take care of quality waterproofing and vapor barrier, otherwise there may be problems later. Thus, in most cases it is more expedient to use a simple foam block. Its characteristic is somewhat better.