✅ Which is better: sip panels or aerated concrete

Aerated concrete and SIP are very competitive technologies, the main advantages of which are low cost and good thermal insulation. But which material is preferable? Let's compare all the pros and cons and understand in detail.

SIP stands for structural insulating panel, which is an alternative to framing. A separate SIP panel is a section consisting of dense polystyrene foam, covered on both sides with OSB sheets. A house built using SIP technology is assembled as a construction kit, and the parts for it must be manufactured at the factory.

The main advantages and disadvantages of SIP houses are:

Low cost of the house itself.
There are no high requirements for the foundation.
Very good thermal insulation of the walls.
Fast construction time for a house.
You can immediately begin finishing.
It is impossible to manufacture and build it yourself without special equipment.
Very poor sound insulation in the house.
Poor environmental friendliness if cheap materials are used.
Low heat capacity of the house.
Any strong vibrations travel throughout the house.
The house is very flammable.
A good ventilation system is required.

The low heat capacity of a SIP house is both an advantage and a serious disadvantage. The advantage here is that the air in the house warms up very quickly, for example, if in winter you left it without heating and arrived for more than a week.

But at the same time, air without heating quickly cools down, since the heat capacity of SIP walls is minimal. If you open a window for 5 minutes in such a house in winter, it will become sharply cold. The solution to this problem will be a concrete screed, preferably with a heated floor, which will have good heat capacity.

The environmental friendliness of SIP panels is also important for modern consumers, and many consider polystyrene foam and OSB to be toxic materials that release formaldehyde into the air. But if such materials are really high-quality, then their emissions are minimal, especially considering that the interior space is covered with finishing materials. And if SIPs are made of cheap materials, then the situation will be worse.

Now, as for the aerated concrete house, with all its advantages and disadvantages.

Relatively low cost of building a house.
Greater requirements for the foundation, when compared with SIP.
It retains heat well when compared with brick, but is inferior to SIP.
The walls are going up quickly.
Aerated concrete is easy to process.
Maximum fire resistance of aerated concrete.
You can build a house yourself, without the use of special equipment.
Greater heat capacity when compared with SIP.
Aerated concrete allows steam to pass through well, which creates a pleasant microclimate in the house.
Fresh factory aerated concrete is wet and requires long drying before finishing work (about 6-12 months).
In some cold regions, insulation is required if the wall thickness is insufficient.
The sound insulation of thin aerated concrete is low, but higher than that of SIP.
The aerated block is fragile and requires careful handling during construction.

Summarizing all of the above, let's summarize the comparison of aerated concrete and SIP. An aerated concrete house is more expensive and heavier, it requires a more massive foundation and much more construction time. Plus, before finishing you need to wait some time for the walls to dry. But it is more comfortable to live in such a house, since it does not shake like a SIP from slamming a door. A SIP house is cheaper, can be erected very quickly and retains heat better.

In other words, aerated concrete is for those who are more demanding and patient, since construction takes about a year. And SIP is for those who need a house in the shortest possible time at a lower price. In terms of durability, we believe that aerated concrete is much better and more reliable, but SIP is also quite suitable as a country house; you can see the options and prices of such country houses at the link - technosip.ru

Carefully compare the materials of houses, choose what is most important to you and build wisely to last.

SIP or gas block? The agony of choice))

Since in the coming days we are buying a plot for our future home, I am increasingly thinking about what to build a house from.
Dreams of my own home outside the city have been visiting me for a long time. That’s why I’ve been reading construction technologies for a long time, the pros and cons, in general, everything that is on the topic. But reading is one thing, but living in such houses is completely different. I will only write about my criteria for these two materials.

The foundation in both places will be shallowly buried. The water is central, we will need to connect and run pipes to our house (everything is close enough).

I'll start with SIP panels. Let me clarify right away that by this I mean OSB and polystyrene in between, since I found options with DSP instead of OSB and others. I will consider the classic version.

And here are my thoughts on this matter: A sip house is easy and quick to build. I choose a project and send it to the factory. There they cut out the house for me on panels and send it directly to the site from the transport. All panels are signed and there are assembly instructions. In general, 2 people without much experience can assemble the box after watching a video on the Internet. I can ask my ex-husband to install the box and roof, I think he will agree. He has experience in construction and not bad. Electricity, water and heating are hired by people anyway. There are candidates) In the 9 months that I have been living in Krasnodar, I have already found specialists.

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What advantages do I see:

- an immediately closed warm circuit, you can save a lot on heating, but as we remember there is no gas yet, only electricity. Warm in winter, cool in summer! Now I’m renting a frame house, in winter I paid 3,500 rubles for everything in the coldest months, and everything in my house is electric. In July I paid 1300 rubles for light). House 60 square meters.

- a prefabricated house - assembled the box, made all the utilities and we can move in and slowly make repairs in the rooms. And this also saves on rent)

- minimum errors during assembly - quite easy to assemble. I looked at a house not far from us, 128 square meters, put together by a husband and wife.

- no wet work, drywall is attached inside and you can glue wallpaper or paint.

Of course, they exist, and the most incomprehensible one for me, which prevents me from choosing this particular option - it’s like the SIP houses in Krasnodar. The frame of the house is wood. The humidity here is high. I encountered mold at home in winter not only in frame houses, but also in houses made of any material. The tree is rotting. The second such disadvantage is the bugs that live in the tree) What to do with them and how to protect your home from this. Well, our mice, who don’t eat styrofoam, live in it)) Well, we need to do good ventilation in the recuperator, otherwise the heat will escape outside.

In general, who built the house from SIP panels in the Krasnodar region, tell me how you live in it?

The second option is a gas block. Autoclave. The locals and the developer are trying to persuade me to take this option. I myself am not against it and in general I considered this construction technology before I met SIP houses. This happened back in Yekaterinburg. We won’t be able to build such a house ourselves, which means the cost of the box will include all construction work: roof, box, communications, etc.

They build here from a 300 block, then insulation with penoplex and then facing bricks. To reduce the cost of construction (I have a limited budget), they offer me this option: a 300-gauge gas block, insulation with mineral wool (or glass wool, I forgot which) and a bark beetle coating. The coating will have to be painted every 3 years, according to the builder. The warm floors are installed right away, but if the heating is done with electricity, the developer himself said it will be a bit expensive. Therefore, we need to think about heating while there is no gas outside. But for sure, if I installed convectors in Sip and after 30 minutes it’s warm, then here I’ll heat it longer.

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In a house made of aerated concrete, everything will be immediately ready for painting or wallpaper; there will be no doors. All electrical, water supply, drainage, and a septic tank will be installed. This is all done by the developer. And here is the real problem. It seems like they recommended a developer, but I have some doubts) This is Krasnodar! Everywhere they are trying not only to heat it up, but to be lazy and do it well. But I won’t be able to control the construction process 100%. No matter how I read, there is no practice. Heating me up and doing everything for the best doesn’t mean anything) And all this, perhaps, is reflected later in alterations and finishing touches.

For example, my friends bought a house for 5 million rubles and built it as if for themselves. Result: we had to add additional insulation, redo the septic tank, replace the pipes in the house, and the windows will also soon need to be replaced, because they were installed crookedly. etc. and so on.

For me, the main question in a house made of aerated concrete is the quality of construction and how warm the house is and won’t heating cost crazy amounts of money? Well, it seems to me that this option is still more expensive than the Sip-house.

What do you think? I'd be glad to hear your opinion

Frame houses from abroad

Judging by the posts on the Internet, technologies for the construction of inexpensive mass individual housing are coming to Russia from Canada, the USA, and Finland. Such housing is built on a wooden frame, sheathed inside with plasterboard (I’ve also seen the name “gypsum board”, as seen from one of the brands), the outside is sheathed with OSB panels and the façade is upgraded from expensive brickwork from face brick to cheap siding. The frame itself is filled with mineral wool board, polystyrene foam or similar thermal insulation materials.

In the summer, I insulated the attic for my parents with my own hands, which I already wrote about on the website and attached photographs. The facade was lined with 5 cm foam plastic using the “wet facade” technology. The effect is obvious: if earlier by January the parents burned a car of firewood and half a ton of diesel fuel, now they only burned half of the car of firewood. Do the math for yourself: instead of 500*27+ 10,000 = 23,500 rubles. only about 5,000 rubles were spent.

So frame houses are very interesting from the point of view of building an energy-efficient house, where they focus on saving energy on heating.

However, frame workers in Russia have two big problems:

If I can somehow cope with the second problem, then the dry forest in Anapa is a big problem. Should I buy it in advance and dry it? There are still hemorrhoids, and the fire hazard in the area is quite high.

Such houses are also promoted as economical at the construction stage, because the foundation needed is simpler, there is less work, and the material is cheaper. Now I'll check this.

What is better to use: SIP panels or aerated concrete

The construction of houses is gradually moving in the direction of reducing costs, while building owners do not want to lose quality. Aerated concrete is a good and inexpensive material for construction. It is often compared with SIP panels, which are similar in quality and cost.

But which is better: SIP panels or aerated concrete? To do this, you will need to compare materials.

Foam blocks

One of the popular materials for construction are foam blocks. This is a cellular material that is made from a conventional solution of cement, water and sand, to which a foaming agent is added. It is often used because of its ease of manufacture and correspondingly low cost.

But it also has many disadvantages that must be taken into account at the stage of designing a house. If you miss even one nuance, it will lead to unpleasant consequences, which will not only overshadow the joy of your new home, but will also lead to large financial expenses.

The first drawback, which may appear already in the first years of operation, is the addition of a large amount of aluminum powder to the foam blocks, which is famous for the fact that it quickly oxidizes and, accordingly, reduces the quality of the material.

Other disadvantages of foam blocks are:

In order to build a house from this material, it is necessary to use special glue to adhere the blocks to each other. The use of a cement mixture leads to a decrease in the thermal insulation properties of the house.
The second drawback follows from the first drawback. Glue for foam blocks is expensive - about twice as much as a cement mixture, but it must be used correctly. The glue must be dissolved in the correct proportions, otherwise, again, the building will not last long.
The blocks themselves are made using lime, which in itself is not dangerous. But when it comes into contact with the reinforcement that is used in the construction of the frame, it causes corrosion. That is, in other words, the reinforcement inside the house rusts from contact with foam blocks, which reduces the strength of the entire structure.

In order to move into a house made of foam blocks, it will be necessary to carry out repairs, level the walls, etc.

Advantages and disadvantages of SIP panels

SIP panels are a Canadian technology that has been in use for over 50 years. The main one is OSB panel and polystyrene foam. Used for the construction of residential buildings, commercial buildings, extensions, garages.

There are kits of houses from manufacturers, where the buyer is provided with SIP panels for the construction of a specific house.

safe (production is not associated with harmful and toxic substances);
due to the low weight, a foundation of increased strength is not required; when building a house from SIP panels, it is enough to use a screw foundation, which is installed within one day;
the material is light, one panel with an area of 1 m2 is about 18 kg, for example, the weight of an identical brick wall will be 500 kg;

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installation of panels is carried out regardless of weather conditions and time of year;
The construction of the house will take about two weeks, after which you can immediately begin the finishing work stage;
price;
thermal insulation, which has an approximate resistance of one VT/m °C - 5.47 cm, which results in subsequent savings in electricity and energy costs for heating the house in the cold season;
sound insulation.

SIP panels exist in safety categories from E0 to E3, the higher this value, the less suitable they are for use in building a house, therefore, despite the lower price of other panels, it is necessary to choose only material marked E0 (means complete environmental friendliness and safety for humans).

you need to be careful when purchasing material;

the panel can be easily destroyed (for example, if a burglar wants to get into the house, he will not need to pick the door lock or break the windows, it will be enough to destroy the wall itself);
When installing the panels, no violations of technology should be allowed, otherwise cracks will appear;
a house made of SIP panels must have good ventilation, since due to the tightness of the constructed object, the “greenhouse effect” will soon begin to operate, causing fungus and mold to appear;
the joints must be protected, for example, with timber or foam, which will not allow moisture to penetrate into the thermal insulation layer.

Other shortcomings can be eliminated by purchasing high-quality panels. If the buyer chooses the cheapest option, then it will not only turn out to be toxic, but will also lose some of its positive qualities.

conclusions

So it turns out that houses made from SIP panels are not cheap at all in Russia and this technology, in my opinion, is greatly overvalued on the market. From an economic point of view, if a high speed of construction is not required, it is more profitable to build an ordinary house. And on the secondary market, such a house will be more valuable, and there will be more opportunities to save money.

Construction time in Russia depends not only on the construction of the house itself, but also on the connection of all communications. And this is still red tape! Until construction is ready, no one will give permission to connect either water or electricity. And the gas can only be connected after the house is put into operation. It turns out that these delays in services greatly offset the difference in construction time.

From the point of view of saving on finishing, a house made of SIP panels looks more attractive due to the fact that the walls are smooth and it is very easy to finish, because it will be ordinary drywall, laminate without wet processes. The facade turns out to be smooth and there is no need to reinvent bicycles with fastening the same siding.

In a house made of blocks, plaster will be required. Although it is possible to make gypsum board, it will clearly increase the cost of finishing. Although you can use it here too. On the other hand, internal partitions can be made not from a regular block, but from tongue-and-groove blocks of the same type, which have excellent geometry and excellent sound insulation. Such walls have a completely different geometry than walls made from a conventional low-cement block. So it is quite possible to use special gypsum mixtures, which dry faster, the thickness of the mantling will be much smaller and the drying time of the house will be significantly reduced.

Also for screeds, there are technologies for semi-dry screeds, when a special semi-dry mixture is laid by specialists using a pump on the floor and leveled. In one day, it is quite possible to fill all two floors and the main moisture will come out in 2 days, although the residual moisture will still take quite a long time to come out. This technology is significantly more expensive than a conventional screed, which you can also do yourself.

So for myself, I decided that classic technologies made from a low-cement block are more suitable for me, and I am closing the question of new construction technologies from SIP panels. But anyway, before construction itself, I will once again calculate the options, but for now I will focus on the land and obtaining a building permit.

Advantages and disadvantages of aerated concrete

Aerated concrete is cellular blocks that are made from quartz sand, cement, aluminum powder, lime and water. The porous structure is achieved by foaming all the ingredients.

weight - due to low weight, little pressure is created on the foundation;
sound insulation, aerated concrete absorbs sound waves;
comfort is achieved through air circulation;
the design protects against pests of any kind;
frost resistance - thanks to the “F” parameter assigned to each brand of blocks, you can determine the number of winters that the material will “survive”;
mold or mildew does not form on aerated concrete walls;
fire resistance - does not burn in fires, as it retains its properties for three hours at temperatures up to 1,200 degrees Celsius;
ease of installation, which requires lightweight aerated concrete blocks, glue, groove and tongue;
strength, which is achieved due to exposure to high temperatures and pressure during the manufacture of the material;
Each size is accurate, the standard deviation is 2mm;
the material is easy to work with and process (cut, grind, use various tools, and so on);

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speed of installation due to the simplicity and light weight of the material;
thermal insulation properties, resistance is calculated by the manufacturer depending on the region of use of the material;
versatility - used for any purpose (for stairs, walls, fences);
environmentally friendly material that does not have any toxic or harmful fumes.

Aerated concrete is not suitable for the construction of a multi-story building; it is better to use blocks only when constructing a one-story house.

if there are metal structures in a wall made of aerated concrete, they will quickly rust;
due to water absorption, difficulties arise when performing finishing work; to avoid possible peeling of the plaster, it is necessary to use a special primer mixture;
the material does not hold the included fasteners; for this you will need to use special fasteners;

low compressive and bending strength, which is why the material is not used for the construction of multi-story buildings, then aerated concrete serves only as an enclosing structure (cracks appear when the material is loaded);
the properties of the material are lost if the conditions of construction technology using aerated concrete are not met;
material cost;
The technology is relatively new, so it is impossible to test some indicators in practice, for example, durability and resistance to low temperatures.

Environmental Safety

Modern aerated concrete always contains fly ash, a combustion product, so its benefits for human health can hardly be called obvious. And SIP panels do not emit or contain any substances harmful to nature or humans.

Ease of handling

Aerated concrete absorbs everything it can. To create a high-quality treatment, it is necessary to spend a huge amount of primer, and there are also difficulties with the rapid drying of plasters. In addition, to finish walls made of foam blocks, it is necessary to carry out preliminary work, which consists of removing the outer surface baked in an autoclave.

Finishing of foam blocks cannot be carried out with cement-based mixtures - under their influence the building material is destroyed. On the contrary, SIP panels can be painted, plastered, covered with wallpaper, adhesives of any formulation, and the speed and ease of work are at the highest level.

Block comparison

To understand whether it is worth building a house from aerated concrete or SIP panels, you need to directly compare the main indicators of the materials:

Strength. In this parameter, SIP panels definitely win, since multi-storey buildings can be built from them without any problems, and aerated concrete will begin to sag and crack when exposed to high loads.
Deformation. A house made of SIP panels sinks by no more than 1% and can be installed on any foundation without any problems. But aerated concrete blocks require a strong foundation, otherwise the object will lose its stability and strength. Because of this, the final cost of building a house increases.
Heat retention. According to the parameters, thermal insulation is better for SIP panels.
Preservation of the internal climate in the building. SIP panels take a long time to heat up and cool down, in contrast to aerated concrete blocks. Because of this, a structure made from the latter material needs a good ventilation and heating system.
Climate resistance. Aerated concrete is a capricious material that will require high-quality insulation. But SIP panels can withstand high temperature ranges without damage.
Interaction with other materials. SIP panels protect other materials from negative effects. But aerated concrete will accelerate corrosion of metal elements, and wood will crumble faster.
Ecological properties. The panels do not have a harmful side at all. But aerated concrete has a combustion product.
Convenient finishing. The panels can be simply and easily processed with any composition and material, which cannot be said about aerated concrete. The blocks absorb any liquid, which is why during finishing you will have to use a large number of mixtures, some of which cannot be used at all due to the destructive effect on aerated concrete.

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When choosing SIP panels or aerated concrete for building a house, you need to choose the first option. In all the considered aspects, the panel indicator is better than the blocks.

Climate resistance

It is easy to understand that the cost of high-quality insulation of a wall made of foam blocks will be comparable to the cost of constructing the same structure from SIP panels. The composite structure easily withstands severe temperature fluctuations. For areas with extremely cold climates and constant exposure to moisture, you can choose SIP panels with cement particle board cladding.

Interaction with materials

However, aerated concrete causes increased corrosion of reinforcement, fastenings (for example, brackets of a ventilated facade) and destruction of wood due to the content of raw materials in the recipe.

What is SIP

Structurally Insulated Panel (SIP) is a building material that consists of three-layer panels made of two layers of OSB (or OSB, these are equivalent designations), between which there is a layer of extruded polystyrene foam (as an option, polyurethane foam or mineral wool is injected). Such a panel is capable of providing a high level of heat saving, is lightweight and does not require a powerful foundation.

SIP panels are used for construction using Canadian technology (frame houses). The scheme of work is simple - the supporting frame is assembled, then it is sheathed with panels. It is noteworthy that in world practice, self-supporting SIPs are also used, which have sufficient rigidity and do not require a supporting structure. They are equipped with a shell made of metal sheets or glass magnesite and are used as parts of prefabricated buildings for installation in field conditions (geological expeditions, equipment repair and maintenance bases, etc.). However, in Russia the main type of SIPs are sandwiches with a double layer of OSB and an intermediate insulator of PPS.

Advantages and disadvantages of SIP

The advantages of SIP are:

strength, ability to partially perform load-bearing functions and relieve the load on the frame;
there is no need to build a powerful foundation; you can get by with screw piles or laying a slab;
high speed of house assembly;
OSB has high rigidity, allows you to install fasteners and hang furniture or technical devices at any point on the wall;
absence of shrinkage processes, which allows you to immediately install windows and carry out interior and exterior decoration.

the panels are impermeable to water vapor. It is necessary to immediately install high-quality ventilation;
poor sound insulation, requiring additional measures;
any errors or carelessness made during assembly may cause deformation of the house. the walls may be poorly connected, the rooms will be blown by the wind. Major repairs will be required with the dismantling of the outer cladding.

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The main disadvantage of SIP does not lie in the field of operational or technical features. The main problem should be considered the lack of proper information about the material, the low popularity and spread of SIP in Russia. If the use of panels increases, user attitudes will improve significantly, especially as interest in this material is constantly increasing.

Modern solution - sandwich panels

If you want to save money when building a house, then the best option would be to use Canadian technology, during which I use sip panels. In this case, the construction system is quite light and fast, and therefore there is no need to attract qualified specialists or order special equipment.

In addition to their low cost, sip panels are famous for a large number of technical advantages:

equipped with a layer of insulation and impregnated with moisture-resistant resin;
They are a lightweight material and therefore do not require the installation of a powerful foundation;
due to the strength and rigidity of the finished structure, they provide the building with protection from natural influences;
due to the fact that the material is equipped with high thermal insulation, during construction it can be used in one layer and thereby increase the volume of living space;
have high noise insulation;
According to the technology, the finished building does not require waiting for the shrinkage time, so you can immediately begin finishing it, after which you can move in and live;
due to the smoothness of the panels, the finishing of the building is carried out easily and quickly, and it is allowed to use any finishing material;
You can build houses from sip panels in any weather conditions.

With a huge number of advantages of panels, when deciding what material to build a house from, you should not forget about their disadvantages. The most important disadvantage of this building material is its low fire resistance. Construction based on panels requires mandatory treatment with special fire retardants. In addition, although the panels provide protection to the house from street noise, they are not able to protect the interior from the loudness of impacts.

Aerated concrete. Durability and reliability

Aerated concrete is also an inexpensive building material, and therefore, when building a house, it is worth taking a closer look at its advantages:

due to the compactness of the material, it is quite easy for builders to erect structures;
aerated concrete blocks do not conduct thermal radiation and vibration well, which means that the future structure will be warm and protected from noise;
the material is durable.

But, at the same time, it is worth taking into account the strength and heaviness of the finished structure, which is why it will require a high-quality foundation and intermediate reinforced strips. Also, due to the low density of aerated concrete during construction, many problems arise associated with attaching large structures to walls.

Aerated concrete blocks are considered a short-lived material, since their service life is estimated at an average of 20 years. An unpleasant aspect with the use of concrete material is its vulnerability to moisture. Therefore, the finished installation must always be treated with a primer and waterproofing agents, and then plastered.

What to build a house from is up to its future owner to decide. When choosing a material, you should first of all take a closer look at its quality characteristics and evaluate its advantages and disadvantages. But, if we talk about the financial side of the issue, then construction from sip panels will cost much less than from aerated concrete blocks.

Specifications

SIP parameters are constantly changing, since the material is in a state of continuous development and improvement of performance. During operation, problems arise, requirements are clarified and optimal types of panels are developed. Therefore, listing the characteristics of SIP provides information that is relevant only for the near future and for current samples of the material.

There are several varieties on sale that differ in the composition of the sandwich:

OSB + PPS;
OSB + PPU;
OSB + mineral wool;
fiberboard + PPS;
fiberboard + mineral wool;
glass magnesite + PPS.

There are other types of panels, for example - plasterboard + PPS. However, apart from the sandwich structure, these panels cannot compete with the basic forms of SIP in any respect. As a rule, these materials are used only for interior work (for example, assembling partitions).

thermal conductivity - 0.041 W/(m K);
density - 15.5-17 kg/m3;
compressive strength - 0.08 MPa;
bending strength - 0.16 MPa;
water absorption with full immersion for a day - 3%;
humidity - maximum 2-4%;
environmentally friendly - approved as a material for housing or food containers, does not contain phenols or other harmful emissions;
temperature range - from -180° to + 80°;
service life - at least 80 years if operating rules are observed.

When combined into a single structure, SIPs can withstand horizontal loads of up to 400 kg/m2 and vertical loads of up to 3 t/m2.

What is aerated concrete

Aerated concrete is a building material from the cellular concrete family. It differs from other varieties in the almost complete absence of components that are not characteristic of traditional types of concrete. There is lime and aluminum powder, but they are completely processed during a reaction with gas release.

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The mass of aerated concrete is replete with small (2-4 mm) bubbles of carbon dioxide. The porous structure gives the material specific qualities, making it a good heat insulator and reducing weight. The result is a light and warm building material, optimal for building a private house. It is noteworthy that the working properties of aerated concrete were initially received very coldly - builders were not ready for the new approach. Since the main development took place about 100 years ago, strength was considered the basic property of building materials. In this regard, aerated concrete is inferior to many alternative materials, therefore, it was considered a type of thermal insulation. However, the construction of residential buildings from aerated concrete was carried out both in Europe and in the USSR - in the 1950-60s, about 80 factories were built to produce this material.

The demand for aerated concrete increased in the 90s of the last century, when mass construction of private houses began. The material turned out to be the most convenient for work, inexpensive, allowing you to build independently and in a short time. Today it occupies one of the leading places in the ranking of building materials, although there are still quite a lot of opponents of aerated concrete.

Advantages and disadvantages of aerated concrete

The positive properties of aerated concrete are considered to be:

the material is light and does not exert excessive pressure on the foundation;
low thermal conductivity allows you to save on heating your home;
the size and weight of the blocks allow you to work without lifting equipment and do installation in a short time;
the even and precise geometry of the gas blocks ensures neat masonry with a thin seam (2-5 mm), eliminating the appearance of cold bridges;
The cost of aerated concrete is quite affordable for the mass buyer.

low strength and load-bearing capacity. There is a restriction on the height of buildings (for the most popular brand of aerated concrete - 3 floors);
hygroscopicity and difficulty in drying the material. Reliable protection of aerated concrete from rain moisture is necessary;
inability to withstand deforming loads. The use of reinforcing elements is required (reinforcement of rows, reinforced belt under each ceiling, etc.).

In addition, aerated concrete is not able to reliably hold fastening elements, which creates certain difficulties when installing equipment, elements of engineering systems or hanging furniture.

How much does a gas block and foam block cost?

An aerated block will cost 3000-4500 rubles per 1 m3. Of course, the price per piece of material depends on its density, size and is approximately 40-95 rubles. A foam block costs about 2000-3000 per 1 m3, and the price of one piece will be approximately 50-100 rubles.

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Specifications

The parameters of aerated concrete vary depending on the density grade and compressive strength class. These indicators are interrelated. The marking contains designations that provide information about the quality of this aerated concrete - the strength class is indicated by the Latin letter B and numbers (for example, B2.5 - the material can withstand a pressure of 2.5 Newton per 1 mm 2, or 25 kgf per 1 cm 2). Density grade - D with numbers - the specific density of this aerated concrete. The most popular brand - D500 - means that 1 m 3 of material weighs 500 kg.

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However, aerated concrete also has general indicators that are valid for all brands and classes (data is provided for YTONG aerated concrete):

frost resistance - F100 (the material can withstand 100 cycles of freezing and defrosting in a state of excess humidity);
fire resistance - 4 hours (withstands exposure to an open flame on one side of the wall for 4 hours until destruction);
vapor permeability - 0.17-0.24 mg/[m hPa];
shrinkage - 0.35-0.45 mm/m;
durability - up to 100 years if operating rules are followed.

The main problem of aerated concrete is the need for protection from moisture penetrating into the material in different ways. If this problem can be solved effectively, the remaining shortcomings can be overcome in a working manner.

What to choose, SIP or aerated concrete

The choice of suitable material should be made based on operating conditions, the size and purpose of the building, the preferences and capabilities of the owner. It is impossible to compare with each other or determine which is better - SIP panels or aerated concrete. These are completely different materials with their own set of qualities and properties. You can choose only based on installation conditions, occupancy dates or other specific indicators of materials. lack of shrinkage and high assembly speed are typical for SIP, therefore, if time is limited, this material is chosen. Aerated concrete allows you to build houses with a large area and complex configuration; it does not require the use of lifting equipment or a frame. This is an argument in favor of gas blocks, although you will have to wait for the shrinkage to complete. Therefore, correctly posing the question of the advantage of a particular material requires indicating the installation conditions, soil characteristics and other individual indicators of the site. It is impossible to name the best material without reference to the features and conditions of construction.

Criteria for evaluation

We will try to put together user characteristics that best and comprehensively cover the technical indicators of both the building material and the building that was erected with its help. The list will look like this:

the level of wall strength and permissible load, which directly limits the number of floors a house can have;
the reaction of building materials to deformation, as well as the general tendency for settlement of buildings and structures;
the level of heat retention, which determines how comfortable and economical the house will be;
the ability to stabilize the climate inside the house;
ability to resist the effects of atmospheric conditions;
interaction with auxiliary materials that are used to build a house;
safety for humans and the environment;
ease of finishing and protection from destructive factors.

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In order not to return to this issue, let us immediately note the property in which aerated concrete is clearly better than SIP panels. The material is vapor permeable, the structure “breathes”, however, a house made of SIP composites with properly organized ventilation does not have any problems with high humidity in the rooms. [ads-pc-1]

Strength

SIP panels are very durable, guaranteeing the construction of buildings of several floors without the use of additional load-bearing structures. Aerated concrete cannot boast of such characteristics. The material is extremely porous, so the construction of multi-story buildings involves the construction of a load-bearing frame made of reinforced concrete.

Without the use of special measures, it is impossible to build a durable house from foam blocks that will have more than one floor. If the task is to create a building with an attic, this can be done by using light floors and limiting the design solutions of the roof. SIP panels do not have such problems; a very serious vertical load can be applied to them.

Deformations and their consequences

SIP panels guarantee shrinkage of the building within 1%. In this case, no destructive consequences or noticeable changes occur. Aerated concrete is extremely inelastic. The slightest changes in the geometry of the wall lead to the appearance of cracks. In fact, according to experts, even in buildings with a reinforced concrete frame, about 25% of foam blocks are damaged and have small cracks.

In order for a building made of foam blocks to be completely stable, it is better to create a massive and powerful foundation. However, the cost of such a solution is extremely high. In contrast, a house made of SIP panels is lightweight and can even be installed on a columnar foundation if there is no danger of soil swelling when freezing.

Heat preservation

Despite the fact that aerated concrete is extremely porous, it is only 2 times “warmer” than brick. When compared with SIP panels, a gas block releases heat 30 times faster than a composite structure.

Internal climate stabilization property

SIP panels have the property of rigid thermal inertia. A house made of such building material slowly heats up under the influence of the summer sun and slowly cools down in the fall. In contrast, aerated concrete does not have this property at all. The building heats up and cools down in a matter of hours, which places significant demands on the air conditioning and heating systems, increasing energy costs.

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Climate resistance

Aerated concrete can easily be called the most capricious material. It requires special, thorough thermal protection, since at subzero temperatures in winter, only 25 freezing and thawing cycles are enough for the gas block to literally begin to crumble. It is not difficult to understand that the cost of high-quality insulation of a wall made of foam blocks will be comparable in cost to the construction of the same structure from SIP panels.

Composite structures can easily withstand severe temperature fluctuations. For areas with extremely cold climates and constant exposure to moisture, you can choose SIP panels with cement bonded particle board cladding.

Interaction with materials

The construction of a building from SIP panels involves sealing all connections and joints using polyurethane foam. At the same time, any additional materials - reinforcement or wooden beams - become completely insulated, destructive factors cease to act on them, which radically increases their service life. In contrast, aerated concrete causes increased corrosion of reinforcement, fasteners (for example, brackets for a ventilated facade) and destruction of wood due to the lime content in the raw material formulation.

Environmental Safety

Modern aerated concrete always contains fly ash, a combustion product, so its benefits to human health can hardly be called obvious. In contrast, SIP panels do not emit or contain any substances harmful to nature or humans.

Convenience of finishing

Aerated concrete absorbs everything it can. To create a high-quality finish, it is necessary to spend a huge amount of primer, and there are also difficulties with the rapid drying of plasters. In addition, to treat walls made of foam blocks, it is necessary to carry out preliminary work, which consists of removing the outer surface baked in an autoclave.

Finishing of foam blocks cannot be carried out with cement-based mixtures - under their influence the building material is destroyed. In contrast, SIP panels can be painted, plastered, covered with wallpaper, adhesives of any formulation, and the speed and ease of work are at the highest level.

Conclusion

The technical characteristics of the two materials confirm that the assessment of amateurs about the superiority of aerated concrete over SIP composites is fundamentally incorrect. Structures erected by specialized companies from foam blocks always use a reinforced concrete load-bearing frame and take into account all the details. For private housing construction, high-quality work using aerated blocks cannot be called an effective method according to any of the important assessments. SIP panels provide a high load capacity and excellent user characteristics of the finished home.

Construction speed

The advantage of SIP panel technology is that the box at home is assembled very quickly and inexpensively. For an average house 10 by 10 meters with a second attic floor, approximately the following construction time is:

That is, you can build a box at home in just 2-3 months. This speed of construction is practically impossible to achieve with any other construction technologies!

All that remains to do in the house is a staircase, heating, plumbing and sewerage, electricity and interior decoration. Moreover, the panels provide a perfectly flat surface for attaching gypsum boards directly to OSB boards without any frame where there is no wiring.

Construction of a house from SIP panels

If we compare it with a classic house made of blocks, then only the foundation will have to be built for about 1 month. Then the walls will be built for at least 1 month, the ceiling will take another couple of weeks, and then a month for the walls of the attic floor (there will be a lot of monolithic cores), the roof will take at least two weeks, and only then will the walls be finished outside along the facade and inside the house.

House made of low-cement blocks

Wet finishing processes inside the house greatly increase construction time. Screeds and plaster are the bane of such houses. After all, you will have to plaster all the rooms, and this means lifting a huge amount of sand and cement, covering all the floors with mortar patches, which are very difficult to tear off from the wood in the case of a wooden floor (I have personal experience of such work). It will all take at least a month to dry after the last pouring of the floor screed. This means that the humidity in the house will be 100% and until the house dries out, it will be impossible to putty and glue the wallpaper. Not to mention laying laminate flooring.

In total, it will take at least six months to a year to build a house using blocks or bricks, provided that you hire builders and build intensively without delays in materials, crews and money.

However, intensive construction has a downside - the availability of money.