The walls of any house should be, first of all, strong and warm. These two properties of building materials are difficult to combine. Durable material is usually “cold”, and thermal insulation is loose and soft. At the same time, there are dual materials – this is cellular concrete.
Light cellular concrete are characterized by manufacturing technology and properties. There are two classic species: foam concrete and aerated concrete (gas stunning). Make them, like any concrete, from a cement-sand mixture. Only, in the first case, the foaming substances of Pava are added, and in the second – gaseous (for example, aluminum powder).
Both concrete of approximately the same thermal conductivity. They differ in appearance. Aerated concrete blocks are produced light gray, foam concrete-dark gray. The geometry and physical properties of aerated concrete are much higher. So, the masonry will be better (the walls are even, parallelism is observed), but also more expensive. Foam concrete is heavier, with a more smooth surface. This complicates the clutch with the solution.
Aerated concrete and foam concrete are sensitive to humidity. In their wet state, their thermal conductivity increases, that is, the walls become more “cold”. The third type of light concrete is devoid of this property – polystyrene concrete, which includes granules of polystyrene foam and air -winning additives. This material can be stored outdoors in the rain and snow. He withstands the load not only on compression, but also to bend. In addition, polystyrene concrete frosted (75 freezing cycles and more).
What material to choose – to solve the customer, but you need to remember the construction of light concrete requires highly qualified builders. You may be interested in the results – aerated concrete blocks of Chinese.