When ordering materials, you need to know their parameters. Even such a well-known material as brick has a large number of types and varieties. Good news is that its parameters are standardized. The standard brick size and its quality characteristics have been determined.
Types of building bricks
Based on the material, bricks can be ceramic (clay, red) or silicate (white). By purpose - ordinary (construction) and finishing (facade). Ordinary is used for laying walls and requires subsequent finishing, so a notch can be applied to the side edges (of the spoons) so that the plaster holds better.
Types of bricks - ordinary and special
According to the molding method, bricks can be solid or hollow (hollow). A solid one is formed from a homogeneous composition. They are used where mechanical strength is important - foundations, load-bearing walls.
Hollow has a certain percentage of voids, due to which the weight of the structure is reduced and thermal conductivity characteristics are improved. But the presence of voids significantly reduces sound insulation performance - the voids act as resonators. So you need to use them wisely.
Ceramic brick size
Ceramic bricks are fired parallelepipeds formed from clay. Quality is largely determined by correctly maintained firing parameters, as well as the composition of the clay solution. High-quality ceramic bricks can be used for any construction operation: for laying a foundation (solid), constructing external walls and internal partitions.
Building bricks have certain dimensions determined by standards. The most commonly used single brick size is 250*120*65 mm
The main disadvantage of this building material is some variation in geometry. It is explained by the characteristics of the clay - it can have different “fat content”, which makes it difficult to accurately predict how much the dimensions will decrease during drying/firing.
What to look for when choosing
When choosing red brick, you should pay attention to its color. It displays the quality of the batch with a parameter such as brick size. It can be under-burnt or over-burnt. The second option is not bad in operation (it looks darker than usual), but it is better not to use unburned brick (lighter and looser) at all - it falls apart very quickly.
The second point that you need to pay attention to is the absence of foreign inclusions. The most common are light dots and expanded clay. Both lead to rapid destruction of the brick. So we select only batches with uniform coloring without any additives.
More quality criteria
That is, the requirements for ordinary building bricks are quite flexible. The presence of these defects does not affect the quality of the masonry, and the decorative component is unimportant, since the presence of finishing is assumed. Don’t forget to check the size of the brick - the spread in one batch should not be more than 3 mm.
The requirements for finishing (cladding) ceramic bricks are more stringent. Invalid:
- Chips of edges more than 1.5 cm deep.
- There should be no cracks.
- There should be no breaks on the ribs more than 3 mm wide and more than 1.5 cm long.
To comply with these requirements, the finishing bricks are placed on pallets, the corners are protected with boards knocked down at an angle, and the entire structure is wrapped in film. It is transported in this form.
Dimensions
The optimal size of clay bricks (red, ceramic) was determined historically. It has been produced for thousands of years, and as a result, the ideal combination of lengths has been developed, which is reflected in the standard. It was adopted only in the last century. There are three standard options:
One of the features is that a single brick can be solid or hollow. One-and-a-half and double - only hollow ones, otherwise they turn out to be too heavy for comfortable work.
In addition to the standard ones, there is a reduced brick. It is produced in Europe, but it also comes to us. Its parameters and international designation are summarized in a table.
| Marking | Brick size | Consumption |
|---|---|---|
| DF | 240*115*52 mm | 64 pcs/m2 |
| RF | 240*115*65 mm | 54 pcs/m2 |
| NF | 240*115*71 mm | 48 pcs/m2 |
| WDF | 210*100*65 mm | 59 pcs/m2 |
| 2DF | 240*115*113 mm | 32 pcs/m2 |
Which size is better
In the post-Soviet space, single brick is most often used. It is very familiar to our eyes; many masonry schemes have been developed for it. It’s worth mastering this kind of material.
One-and-a-half bricks are used less frequently. It provides some economic benefits. Firstly, a cubic meter costs a little lower. Secondly, since the masonry fragments are larger, less solution is consumed. Thirdly, work in progress faster. Time is saved due to the larger size. But it’s more difficult to work with a one-and-a-half brick, even if it’s hollow – it’s hard to hold in your hand. And the appearance of the wall is unusual.
Double brick is more often called ceramic building stone. When using it, the most noticeable effect is the speed of construction. In addition, the saving of the solution increases. But you won’t be able to grab such a brick with one hand. Therefore, it is better to work with an assistant. The appearance of the masonry leaves much to be desired, so exterior finishing is desirable.
If we talk about other countries, the most popular ones in Europe are NF and DF. Imported NF ceramic bricks have almost the same proportions as domestic ones. DF category is thinner, the masonry looks elegant.
Dimensions of sand-lime brick
Sand-lime brick is made from quartz sand (9 parts) and lime (1 part), and a certain amount of additives. This building material has best characteristics in terms of thermal conductivity (conducts heat worse), less weight. The technology is such that it is easier to maintain geometric dimensions, so there are usually no problems.
But it is not as hard as red brick, and it is also afraid of moisture - with prolonged contact with moisture it begins to crumble. Because of this, the main area of use is for the construction of walls and partitions. It cannot be used either for the foundation, or for the basement, or for laying a chimney.
The second area of application is as finishing material. The base composition has a white, slightly grayish color. You can add any dye to it and get colored bricks.
The dimensions of building silicate bricks are the same as ceramic ones: single has a height of 65 mm, one-and-a-half - 88 mm, double - 138 mm.
Single and one-and-a-half silicate bricks can be solid or hollow. A single solid one weighs 3.6 kg, a hollow one weighs 1.8-2.2 kg, depending on the size of the voids. A full-bodied one and a half has a mass of 4.9 kg, and a hollow one - 4.0-4.3 kg.
Double sand-lime brick is usually made hollow. Its weight is 6.7 kg. Full-bodied ones are rare - due to their large mass (7.7 kg) they are difficult to work with.
Weight of one piece: ceramic, silicate, ordinary, obverse
The weight of the brick is needed, firstly, to calculate the foundation; this parameter is especially important when; secondly, for cargo transportation; and thirdly, to determine quality and compliance with GOST requirements.
| Brick type | Purpose | View | Nominal sizes | Emptiness | Weight | Water absorption |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ceramic GOST 530-2007 | private (worker) | single, full-bodied | 250*120*65 | 0% | 3.3 - 3.6 kg | 10 -12% |
| single, hollow (hollow, slotted) | 250*120*65 | 30-32% | 2.5 - 3.0 kg (with 6% voids weight 3.8 kg) | 12 -17% | ||
| one and a half, full-bodied | 250*120*88 | 0% | 4 - 4.3 kg | 12 -17% | ||
| one and a half, hollow | 250*120*88 | 30-32% | 3.5 kg (with 6% voids - 4.7 kg) | 12 -17% | ||
| double, full-bodied | 250*120*140 | 0% | 6.6 - 7.24 kg | 12 - 17% | ||
| double, hollow | 250*120*140 | 30-32% | 5.0 - 6.0 kg | 12- 17% | ||
| facing (facial) | single, full-bodied | 250*120*65 | 0% | 2.6 kg | 9 - 14% | |
| single hollow | 250*120*65 | 30-36% | 1.32 - 1.6 kg | 9 -1 4% | ||
| one and a half hollow | 250*120*88 | 30-36% | 2.7 - 3.5 kg | 9 - 14% | ||
| Silicate GOST 379-95 | private (worker) | single full-bodied | 250*120*65 | 0% | 3.7 - 3.8 kg (according to GOST) | |
| single hollow | 250*120*65 | 15-31% | 3.1 - 3.3 kg | |||
| one and a half full-bodied | 250*120*88 | 0% | 4.2 - 5.0 kg | |||
| one and a half hollow | 250*120*88 | 15-31% | 4.2 - 5 kg | |||
| double hollow | 250*120*140 | 15-31% | 5.3 - 5.4 kg | |||
| facing (facial) | single full-bodied | 250*120*65 | 0% | 3.5 - 3.9 kg | ||
| one and a half full-bodied | 250*120*88 | 0% | 3.7 - 4.3 kg | |||
| one and a half hollow | 250*120*88 | 15-31% | 3.7 - 4.2 kg |
In addition to standard size bricks, there are a large number of lightweight finishing bricks. For example, there is a silicate one and a half, which weighs only a little more than a standard single - 4.1-5.0 kg.
There is the so-called “American” - with a standard single size and a weight of only 2.5 kg. Lightweight versions can be used in case of insufficient bearing capacity of the foundation. Although, it is better to use a lighter finish - facade slabs, for example.
Fireclay brick parameters
For the construction of stoves and fireplaces in the area of contact with fire, special fire-resistant bricks are used. In its production, a special type of clay is used - fireclay. That’s why such a brick is also called fireclay. The production process is the same as for building red bricks - molding, drying, firing in a kiln. But, due to the special properties of fireclay, the resulting building material can easily withstand prolonged contact with open fire. There are two brands of refractory bricks used in everyday life general purpose- SHA and ShB. ShA can withstand temperatures up to 1690°C, ShB - up to 1650°C, all other parameters are identical. Therefore, their scope of application is the same - this is the molding of fireboxes for fireplaces and stoves.
Encode the size of the refractory brick in the number that appears after the abbreviation:
- ШБ-5, ША 5 - 230*114*65 mm;
- ShB-6, ShA 6, ShA 14 - 230*114*40 mm (flying blade);
- ШБ-8, ША 8 - 250*125*65 mm;
- ШБ-9, ША 9 - 300*150-65 mm;
Most often they use ShA 8 or ShB 8. They are the same in length and thickness as the ceramic red brick from which the rest of the stove is made. There is also a wedge-shaped refractory brick - for forming firebox arches and smooth curves in the horizontal plane.
There are two types of wedge refractory bricks:
These are not all the sizes and types of fireclay bricks. You will find more in GOST 8691-73.
Clinker brick
Clinker brick is another special type ceramic bricks. In its manufacture, a special type of clay is used - refractory shale. The molded blocks are fired at a very high temperature - 1200°C. As a result of this treatment, the clay acquires the properties of ceramics, the color ranging from dark red to rich brown.
Clinker brick has very high strength and abrasion resistance. You can use it to pave roads or decorate porches. And they will serve for centuries. The surface of the clinker is flat, smooth, shiny. This allows it to be used also as a finishing brick - for finishing facades, etc.
The shape and size of clinker bricks can be very different - there are a lot of them, since there are not only standard ones - in the form of a parallelepiped, but also with beveled at different angles, rounded edges.
Lightweight building brick
Light (porous) bricks are made from ordinary clays with the introduction of burnable additives, as well as from diatomites (tripoli) or from mixtures of diatomites and clays. The light brick has the following dimensions: length 250±8, width 120±6 and thickness 88±4 mm. Larger porous bricks are also available - 250X120X140 mm. The lower the volumetric weight of light brick, the lower its thermal conductivity. Depending on the volumetric weight, lightweight building bricks are divided into three classes - A, B and C in accordance with the accepted classification of wall materials. Depending on the compressive strength - for grades 50, 75 and 100. The frost resistance of light brick (Mrz 10) is significantly lower than that of other types of brick discussed above. In table 8 shows the strength limits of bricks in compression and bending.
The use of oversized bricks is much more profitable than regular bricks, since the number of seams in the masonry of walls is reduced and, consequently, the consumption of binder is reduced and labor productivity increases. The use of porous bricks reduces the thickness of external walls and reduces their cost by about 10%. However, due to its reduced strength, it is not used for the construction of walls bearing heavy loads. It is not used for foundations and plinths of buildings and for walls of wet rooms due to low frost resistance, and also because in these cases its thermal insulation properties are not used.
Vibrobrick panels
Vibrobrick panels are large-sized building parts made from bricks on cement mortar with insulation. To ensure the necessary strength and solidity, a reinforcing mesh is laid between the bricks. Mineral wool boards, foam glass, fiberboard, etc. are used as insulation when assembling panels. Hinges are laid to lift the panel to its full height.
Panels are made in two ways - horizontal and vertical laying; horizontal laying is the most effective. Process consists of the following basic operations: preparation of the material - brick, mortar and metal frame, molding (assembling) panels, compaction by vibration, finishing the panels and processing them in steaming chambers for 8-12 hours at a temperature of 80 ° C (to accelerate the hardening process) . The strength of the panel structure during installation and transportation is ensured by laying reinforcing wire mesh in the horizontal seams, and vertical reinforcement cages are installed on both sides of the opening.
The panels are produced in two-layer and single-layer 26. Wall panels. Double-layer panels made of brick and insulated brick panel can be lined with ceramic tiles, which gives the panel beautiful view. A wall assembled from such panels does not require additional finishing - cladding, plastering or painting. Figure 26 shows a general view of a vibrobrick wall panel lined with tiles. The total thickness of the two-layer panel is 260 mm, including 120 bricks, 100 insulation, 4 and 36 mm facing ceramic tiles, three layers of mortar. The dimensions of the produced panels are 2670X3180x260 mm.
Which brick to choose for building a house. The question is not simple! Let's look at the main types of bricks and decide which brick is best to build a house from.The material for most types of brick is clay. The clay is kneaded to the desired consistency, various additives and additives are added, the required amount of water is shaped, dried at a temperature of 200 degrees until completely dry, and subsequently the brick undergoes final firing at higher temperatures (sintered to a ceramic state). Without firing, raw brick is nothing - just a piece of dried clay.
There are types of bricks that are not made from clay, for example, silicate. There is no clay in hyper-pressed brick either. This is, in fact, a stone.
Main types of bricks:
1. Construction brick.
Regular fired clay ceramic red brick. As a rule, it comes in single, one-and-a-half, and double sizes. And in terms of filling - full-bodied and slotted. The surface of the brick is usually rough or ribbed for better adhesion in masonry. Solid brick is the most expensive, as it requires more material.
2. Facing brick.
Already by the name it is clear for what purposes it is intended. It is used for cladding external surfaces of buildings due to its good performance properties. Mainly due to frost resistance, moisture resistance and wear resistance, it is used for cladding purposes.
In addition, it is used for the construction of heavy fences, foundations, walls, and restoration work.
The surface of the brick is perfectly smooth with smooth edges and edges. Not subject to fading. Due to different firing times and temperatures, the shade of the facing brick can be set. The color can also be changed by adding additional dye, which significantly expands the range of color shades. Perhaps one of the most expensive types of bricks.
3. Silicate brick.
The cheapest type of brick. This is due to a fundamentally different technology for making bricks (without firing). Sand-lime brick is made from quartz sand (about 93%) and lime (about 7%). The setting of the brick is carried out by the chemical reaction of slaking lime. To speed up the process, an autoclave is used, where the products are steamed at a temperature of about 200 degrees under pressure.
Without adding additives, sand-lime brick is white.It can be ordinary (for laying load-bearing walls) and front (for external cladding).
Sand-lime brick does not “like” exposure to high temperatures (over 500 degrees Celsius) and chemical influences. Therefore, it is not used in stove masonry, as well as for basement floors, where contact with water (and chemicals dissolved in it, especially acids) is possible. In addition, due to its high thermal conductivity, they try not to use it in monolithic masonry of external walls, but use it only for cladding and masonry of internal walls.
Frost resistance can vary widely from F 15 – F 50, which is not very much.
Strength is high: from M 75 to M 300. Therefore, buildings made of sand-lime brick are not limited in number of storeys.
Density from 1300 to 1900 kg/m3.
For cladding, rusticated sand-lime brick with an artificial uneven surface is very good.
As a rule, there is a single, one and a half. Full-bodied. Smooth masonry, smooth facing, rusticated facing. The color can be from white to black (and in general - any color). Without dyes - white.
4. Hyper-pressed brick.
By and large, this is not a brick, but a concrete stone block, as it contains clay. Contains 85% limestone, 10% cement, 5% dye. It has a very long freezing cycle - 150. It has low moisture absorption - up to 6%, and increased strength. Ideal for cladding plinths, building facades, decorative finishing, cladding fireplaces. The finishing looks very presentable. Expensive type of brick.
5. Clinker brick.
Clinker brick is made from special refractory clay at temperatures above 1100 degrees Celsius. At this temperature, all voids and cracks disappear from the total mass of the brick. The brick becomes as if burned out and monolithic. May be specially grooved. The color of this brick can be sort of gradient - the color changes from red to dark gray burnt within one brick.
Brick is used for cladding stoves and fireplaces. It has a large number of freezing cycles - about 100. It is also used for laying external chimneys, outdoor stoves, barbecues, and sidewalks.
As a rule, there are one-and-a-half and double. The most expensive type of brick.
6. Kiln brick.
This brick is not used for construction purposes. It can be fireclay refractory or stove smooth.
Fireclay brick. The thermal resistance of this brick is about 1700 degrees Celsius. Used for installation of stoves, fireplaces, chimneys, autoclaves, gas boiler furnaces and similar high-temperature structures. It is made from grinding fireclay and fireclay powder by sintering. It has a characteristic granular structure. It can be molded into any shape, you can even lay out a round oven and for this there is a special circular shaped brick.
Stove brick - used for laying stoves and fireplaces, walls in direct contact with fire. It can withstand lower temperatures than fireclay, but it is just right for ordinary stoves and fireplaces.
7. Porous brick.
Perhaps the most promising type of brick. It just seems expensive. Yes, one such brick costs from 107 to 205 rubles apiece. However, there are only 35-48 such bricks per cubic meter. As a result, a cubic meter of such stone will cost the same amount as cubic meter ordinary ceramic brick. But the advantages of this brick are immediately obvious. The thermal conductivity of porous brick is from 0.14 to 0.26 W/m * o C (the larger the block, the lower the thermal conductivity of the block). Which is already comparable to wood, foam concrete or even gas silicate! (The gas silicate block has a thermal conductivity of 0.14 W/m * o C.) And the advantages of the masonry are obvious - no external wall cladding is required. That is, with a half-meter brick you can immediately lay out the specified thickness of the load-bearing wall. Laying such large blocks is a pleasure. The house is being built very quickly. In addition, the brick contains special channels for pouring vertical reinforcement, which can be convenient for construction in seismically hazardous regions. The standard size of this type of brick is very diverse.
What causes such low thermal conductivity? In the technology of manufacturing porous bricks. Wooden sawdust is specially added to the clay batch during the manufacturing process. During firing of a brick block, sawdust burns out, resulting in the formation of an air pore in the brick, which prevents the spread of cold in the brick. The amount of sawdust in the batch regulates the thermal conductivity and strength grade. If you are planning to build a house out of brick, then you should definitely pay attention to this type of brick.
However, the cost of porous bricks is still high. A cubic meter of porous brick costs at least twice as much as a foam concrete cubic meter. For example, in 1 cubic meter there are about 28 pieces of foam blocks measuring 200x300x600, while there are only about 36 pieces of porous bricks measuring 510x250x219. If the cost of a foam block is about 90 rubles, and a porous brick of this size is 142 rubles, we get: one cubic meter of foam concrete is 2520 rubles, one cubic meter of porous brick is 5112 rubles. Total: 5112 rubles / 2520 rubles = 2.02 times. Expensive? Well, how can I say it? If we take into account that the thermal conductivity of a porous brick with a size of 440x250x219 is equal to 0.14 W/mx o C (thermal conductivity also depends on the size of the brick - less cold bridges - less thermal conductivity), that is, it is equal to the thermal conductivity of gas silicate brick, and there is no need to do cladding, which reduces labor costs, then porous brick is a very promising material. And, if you consider that walls made of foam concrete or gas silicate need to be additionally lined with a gap and re-lining with special facing bricks, then this idea is unlikely to pay for itself. I think that when the production of porous bricks is established in Russia, it will become cheaper. In addition, the production technology is not so complicated. For now, porous brick is a foreign material for construction and is still a bit expensive. But it's already available. I would even think twice about it. Laying gas silicate or foam concrete requires experienced masons (working with glue, cladding, additional re-lining), while laying ordinary brick does not require much experience. If only they laid it out according to the level. Very, very tempting.
By what other characteristics are bricks distinguished? By size. There is a standard for basic brick sizes. Each country has its own standard.
Main sizes:
1. Single. Brick size: length 250 mm, width 120 mm, height 65 mm. (250x120x65).
2. One and a half. The brick size is 250x120x88.
3. Double. Double brick size 250x120x138.
There are also exotic brick sizes. These standard sizes are used for so-called warm ceramics or porous bricks. These sizes are more convenient to install.
These are the sizes:
4. Facing. 80x500x219. Used for cladding interior walls.
5. Septal. 120x500x219. Used for laying internal partition walls.
6. Masonry. 250x380x219. Used for interior masonry with additional cladding.
7. Main masonry. 380x250x219. Used as the main masonry stone.
8. Thickened masonry. 440x250x219. Allows you to build walls without additional cladding.
9. Thick masonry. 510x250x219. Allows you to lay out a full brick wall.
10. Dressing. 380x250x219. Serves for bandaging masonry layers.
11. Additional. 440x250x219. Serves for dressing purposes. Shape without side ribs.
12. Extended dressing. 510x250x219. For bandaging walls when using thick masonry bricks.
Brick is still classified by the nature of the filling brick bodies with holes. Determine whether there are heat-insulating holes in the brick.
1. Full-bodied. If there are only a couple of large holes in a brick, this does not mean that it is slotted - it is also a solid brick. Solid brick is the coldest, in contrast to slotted brick.
2. Slotted. There are a great variety of varieties and spatial arrangement of holes in slotted bricks. From round, to rhombic and rectangular. The location of the holes determines how this type of brick will release heat. The more intricately located the holes in the brick, the warmer it will be, the more difficult it will be for the cold to pass through these ornate passages - bridges of cold. Increasing the number of holes in the body of a brick reduces its strength characteristics.
By appearance brick is divided into:
1. Masonry. As a rule, the brick is an ordinary one, which is used for general masonry inside the wall, without being displayed.
2. Smooth. At least one of the longitudinal sides of the brick has an attractive appearance and such a brick is used for facing purposes.
3. Rusticated brick. In a special way, convex irregularities are created on the brick. This type of brick is used for decorative and facing purposes.
4. Grooved. Another type of facing brick, but here the irregularities are of the pressed type.
5. Broken. A type of decorative facing form of brick, obtained by chipping or breaking. Typically, hyperpressed bricks are made in this way. A house lined with such bricks looks like an old stone house. Very beautiful.
Classification of bricks by color. Today, color additives are not added only to masonry building bricks. All other types of brick can take on all sorts of shades. Sand-lime brick, for example, can be from white to black. Hyper-pressed brick can generally be of any color, since it is not fired and is tinted. The color range of facing ceramic bricks is usually in the red range - from pink to dark brown and is quite beautiful in itself without additional colors. However, special coloring methods are used during firing. Additives are added that change color when exposed to elevated temperatures. The brick house is now a beautiful work of art. Times change, and so do manufacturing approaches.
Consider the thermal conductivity table various types bricks
|
Brick type |
Thermal conductivity, W/m * O C. |
Price per cubic meter. |
|
Solid red clay building brick 1800 kg/m 3 |
0,52 |
5232 rub. |
|
Ceramic slotted construction brick (effective) 1200 kg/m 3 |
0,45 |
3532 rub. |
|
Slotted ceramic facing brick 1200 kg/m 3 |
0,30 |
5786 rub. |
|
Single solid silicate brick 1800 kg/m 3 |
0,75 |
4147 rub. |
|
Hyper-pressed single smooth colored brick 1800 kg/m 3 |
0,74 |
9728 rub. |
|
Single clinker facing brick 2150 kg/m 3 |
You can often hear discussions from amateur construction workers about which types of bricks are better. This formulation of the question is incorrect from the very beginning. There are different types of bricks, which differ in composition, strength characteristics, water resistance, fire resistance, thermal conductivity and, as a result, in their area of application.
Silicate - the most popular
The most common in Russia are: sand-lime bricks. They are made from a mixture of lime and sand. Their extraordinary prevalence is primarily explained by their low cost and wide range of applications for domestic purposes (construction of dachas, garages, etc.)
At the same time, in most respects they are clearly not up to par: these types of bricks retain heat rather poorly and resist moisture; they are heavy and at the same time fragile. These characteristics of sand-lime brick make it possible to use it only in the construction of walls and interior partitions. It is not suitable for laying stoves, fireplaces, pipes and foundations.
sand-lime brick
Full and hollow
Depending on the design load, either can be used for different purposes. full-bodied types of bricks, or hollow. The first ones are more durable. They are used, for example, for the construction of load-bearing walls and columns. But their thermal conductivity is quite high, so walls made of them require additional insulation. Hollow types of bricks are lighter and cheaper, and their thermal conductivity is also lower than that of solid ones. But they are quite fragile and are mainly used in the construction of structures that are not particularly loaded.
Solid, hollow and porous types
Ceramic brick
The next most popular types of bricks are: ceramic. They are produced by firing various mixtures of clays. These types of bricks are also hollow and solid. These varieties can be used almost anywhere: from laying a foundation or stove to cladding walls.
Facing – stronger than they seem
From the title " facing" many conclude that they are used for more than actual construction purposes. However, this is a misconception. These materials are so durable that they can even be used to build a foundation, not to mention walls, use as well, and, of course, for interior decoration. Such bricks can be deliberately smooth (glazed) or, on the contrary, chopped (imitation of ordinary stone). They may have an unusual curly shape. Most common form facing bricks with rounded corners. The name “facing” only means that it can be used in cases where the qualitative (aesthetic) characteristics of internal or external surfaces made from it are important.
Double brick/ceramic stones
The following type of brick can be combined into a large group called ceramic stones, or double bricks. These large blocks significantly increase the speed and quality of masonry. Due to their porosity (sometimes even super-porosity), they are lightweight and economical. They are usually used for laying external walls. The fairly massive size of ceramic stones allows you to significantly save on the amount of mortar used for masonry. In addition, their high-tech shape makes it possible to significantly strengthen the “adhesion” of the elements to each other, in contrast to products of the usual shape.
double blocks
Clinker - one of the most durable
Another type of bricks - the so-called clinker. In terms of manufacturing technology and composition, they are similar to ordinary ceramic ones. But during their production, higher temperatures are used, which makes it possible to use them for purposes such as laying gutters, paths for vehicles, facing foundations, etc.
Chamotte - not afraid of fire
The following types of bricks are: fireproof, or fireclay. Despite the fact that ordinary ceramic blocks can withstand temperatures up to 800 degrees, which is quite enough for household needs, V everyday life refractory types of bricks are used when laying stoves because of their unique ability to gradually accumulate and slowly release heat. A stove made of this type of material heats up slowly, but also releases heat for a long time. In combination with ordinary ceramic bricks, their use ensures uniform and long-lasting heating of the premises.
Common forms in which modern bricks are produced:
Video: Discovery about brick
Man has been building his houses from wooden logs since time immemorial, and from bricks for many hundreds of years, ever since he managed to burn clay on fire and realized that the resulting material is durable, beautiful and convenient for building the walls of a home. In ancient Egypt there were already buildings made of baked brick, and various structures made of raw brick date back to earlier eras.
Of course, the technology for making modern bricks is strikingly different from the ancient ones, but the popularity of this building material remains high. Those who are accustomed to the depressing monotony that reigned on the building materials market during the Soviet era will most likely be pleasantly surprised and even delighted to see how many varieties of bricks are offered to a potential buyer today to choose from. The information provided in this article will help you not to drown in this sea of colors and shapes; in it we will try to determine which brick is best to use for building a house.
Solid brick
So, let's start with the most inexpensive and common option - ordinary solid brick. There is no need to describe it in detail: everyone already perfectly imagines this rectangular block of a reddish color, which does not have any holes or other “excesses.” Due to its strength and frost resistance, this type of brick is most often used to create columns and vaults, as well as as the basis of masonry, which then requires plastering or covering with another facing material.
Hollow brick
A brick that contains through or non-through cavities is usually called hollow. Such material not only better retains heat in the apartment, but also helps reduce material costs during its production and transportation, and reduces the load on the foundation. 
When producing such a brick, if you add sawdust to the mixture, which then burns, leaving tiny voids, you will get a variety called hollow porous. This type of brick has even greater sound and heat insulation.
Facing brick
Facing bricks differ from other types in their increased strength and resistance to adverse weather conditions. Due to this, it is widely used for buildings. The so-called textured variety is obtained by merging a base consisting of red-burning clay with a coating of white-burning clay.
There are also many decorative varieties of bricks available. Some of them, thanks to the use of a special additive, acquire a bright, unusual color, others are made in special figured shapes, which give their surface a special pattern (oak bark, turtle, etc.).
To create colored panels both indoors and outdoors, glazed or engobed brick is used. The only difference between them is that in the first case the glaze is applied to an already fired workpiece.
And in the second - on thoroughly dried raw material and only then subjected to firing.
Technological nuances then affect its quality. Figured brick has a non-standard shape and is used mainly for external work, when it is necessary to create non-standard architectural solutions(arches, columns, bay windows, etc.). It is also in great demand in landscape design.
Clinker bricks are fired at a very high temperature (about 1800 degrees Celsius), as a result of which all its components are sintered into a single monolith that has excellent performance characteristics.
Due to the absence of pores, clinker bricks are extremely durable, frost-resistant and practically do not absorb moisture. These features allow it to be used in the most difficult conditions.
However, even this is surpassed in strength by fireclay brick, which can withstand temperatures of up to 1500 degrees Celsius. This effect is achieved due to the fact that in the production of this building material a mixture of fireclay powder and ground refractory clay is used, which is fired at a very high temperature.
Most often, fireclay brick is used in the construction of fireplaces and chimneys. It can be distinguished by its sandy-yellowish color and grainy base, as well as by the fact that when tapped, this material makes a sound that is somewhat reminiscent of metal.
Porous ceramic brick is the ideal brick for building your home.
Currently, the most profitable and environmentally sound solution is to build a residential building from porous ceramic bricks. Ceramic porous blocks, the production of which involves the classical firing of clay, are the most modern building material for the construction of walls of warm houses, both individual buildings and apartment buildings up to 6 floors high.
Porous brick is superior to classic red brick in all respects: it retains heat better, weighs less, and thinner walls can be built from it. All this together allows you to reduce the load on the building foundation and use less reinforcement.
In addition, ceramic porous bricks are much larger in size: the volume of one block is equal to 10-15 standard bricks folded together, therefore, during construction you can save on mortar, construction time and the number of workers required for construction.
A building made of porous blocks does not require additional insulation of the walls, which makes it possible to obtain the most environmentally friendly housing for people. Can be compared to him wooden house, but only an ancient building made from huge logs of centuries-old trees.
What is porous ceramic brick?
This is a building material based on clay with the addition of sawdust, molded into large blocks and fired in a kiln. During the firing of the block, the sawdust burns out, leaving small voids in the brick - pores. Due to these pores, high frost resistance of the brick, increased noise insulation and a reduction in the weight of the block itself are achieved.
This brick has unique thermal insulation properties, as well as the ability to retain “internal” heat much longer. This allows you to significantly save on heating, do not use additional thermal insulation agents, and maintains a microclimate (temperature-humidity) inside the walls that is most comfortable for humans.
Additional advantages of porous ceramic bricks are their shape and large format. The large but light-weight block (about 1.3 times lighter than an ordinary brick) is quite simple in masonry technology, and the corrugated “spoon” sides allow you to significantly save on the amount of mortar for laying and erecting walls.
Thus, construction is accelerated by increasing the rate of masonry by approximately three times. The walls may be thinner than usual, but their strength will be very high. Plastering walls made of porous blocks is much easier. The corrugated surface holds the plaster layer well, which is applied evenly and very economically.
If you are interested in quick and high-quality construction of the walls of your home, choose porous ceramic bricks.
The advantages of this material for building houses are undeniable: savings cash when using it is very significant. By spending a little more on the purchase of porous blocks than on standard bricks, you will significantly benefit from the total amount spent on building the house as a whole.
I hope this article was able to answer the question: “What kind of brick should I use to build a house?”
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