Silicate brick size: production, types, characteristics

Brick is a traditional building and cladding material used in the construction of residential buildings. The material has proven itself on the positive side and is in demand in many countries around the world. Modern manufacturers offer bricks that differ in composition, shape, linear dimensions and performance properties. The size of the silicate brick is different. About the features of the material and its application - today's material.

Composition and production

Silicate is environmentally friendly and safe building material - in this it is not inferior to the red (ceramic) analogue. Such a brick is made on the basis of air lime, quartz sand and water. Silicate has a low cost, high strength, convenient size and ease of use; therefore, mass production of this material is established in all progressive countries of the world.

Quartz sand in any brick takes 90%, the rest is accounted for by additives and lime. After pressing the components, they are fired.

The result is blocks that have the correct geometric shape. Silicate brick, dimensions 250x120x65 - is a universal building block.

The difference between silicate and other analogs lies in the special technology of its manufacture, in which raw blocks are processed with hot steam in an autoclave with temperatures up to 200 degrees and a pressure of 12 atm. With this effect, a strong adhesion of sand and lime molecules occurs, which ensures high strength of silicate blocks.

The correct geometric shape and size of blocks, before they are sent to the autoclave, is given with using a hydraulic press.

Brick acquires additional properties and color after adding modifying additives and dyes to the solution. This allows you to give the blocks any shape and color.

Video - Sand-lime brick production

Types of linear dimensions

One-and-a-half silicate brick, the dimensions of which allow it to be used to solve many problems in the construction of residential buildings, is used as a facade finishing material and for the construction of walls of residential low-rise buildings.

Due to its excellent operational characteristics, silicate brick is widely used as facing facade material.

For these purposes, a white or colored material is purchased, which allows you to realize any design idea.

The size of sand-lime brick is standard.It is regulated by GOST and is presented in three forms:

1. For a single one, it is 250x120x65 mm.
2. For one and a half - 250x120x88 mm.
3. For double - 130x176x206 mm.

Modern production, equipped with special equipment, allows you to make blocks of non-standard shapes, shades and sizes.

Due to the use of thickened and one-and-a-half silicate blocks in construction, it is possible to significantly speed up the process of wall erection and more economical use of cement slurry.

The main indicator of the efficiency that one-and-a-half silicate brick (dimensions 250x120x88) has in a cube pieces. For him, this value is 314 blocks per 1 cubic meter, for a single block - 414 pieces. The weight of the block depends on the type of brick - hollow or solid; from 4 to 4.2 kg.

Silicate hollow brick, the dimensions of which do not differ from the solid one, differ in less mass - the difference with a full-bodied block is from 15 to 20%. This property has a positive effect on reducing the weight of the structure being erected, and the load on the foundation. In addition, air-filled voids increase the sound and heat insulation properties of the walls without reducing their strength. When installing ventilated facades, I use solid blocks.

Using a one-and-a-half or double block in low-rise buildings, it is possible to obtain an attractive appearance of the facade, with this significantly reducing the cost of the material.

Smooth colored bricks are used both for facing facades and for erecting walls - subsequent decorative finishing is not required in this case.

Sand-lime brick price

Sand-lime brick

Block characteristics

Silicate bricks, depending on the brand, have different strengths, but there are a number of positive properties characteristic of all silicate blocks:

1. Brick is easy to work with - no special skills and tools are required to work with it. The silicate block differs from other types of bricks by its high weight.
2. The material has excellent heat and sound insulation properties. Noise from the street practically does not penetrate into such a house.

   It is possible to significantly increase the comfort in the premises through the use of modern window systems.

3. Silicate is much stronger than ceramic analogues - its strength is 1.5 times greater.
4. The cost of silicate blocks is lower than that of ceramic bricks by an average of 30%, since its production is more profitable, taking into account the time and resources expended.
5. Colored bricks allow you to create an original facade finish using the usual red, beige shades of blocks or gray - to create facades in a modern style.

6. Environmentally friendly and safe materials are used for the manufacture of silicate. No mold or mildew forms on the surface of the blocks.

The size of white silicate bricks and their number in one square meter depends on whether it is one and a half or regular.

The disadvantages of silicate blocks include the following:

1. Low frost resistance. A silicate house requires additional insulation.

   Due to the high water absorption, the brick will collapse when the air temperature drops.

2. The presence of voids in hollow blocks does not guarantee high thermal insulation properties of the material. Rather, they have a positive effect on the sound insulation of premises.
3. Silicate blocks are heavy. This property allows you to create strong and reliable structures, but significantly complicates the transportation and installation process.

Technical qualities of blocks

The strength of the brick is indicated by its brand - the larger it is, the greater the strength of the block. So for the construction of buildings on one floor, they use silicate brick of the M75 brand, and for houses over one floor, they use the brick of the M100, M125 brands. More durable material is marked: M150, M175, M200, M250, M300.

Table 1. Properties of silicate bricks

Sand-lime brick does not burn, as it does not contain flammable substances.

Pay Attention! Silicate is not used for the construction of basements and foundations due to the high degree of water absorption of the stone.

The cost of silicate bricks makes this material attractive in frequent housing construction.

Table 2. The cost of sand-lime brick

Features of laying

To lay out a structure of silicate bricks, as noted earlier, do not special skills, knowledge and an expensive tool are needed.

The work process is no different from the construction of walls from another block material.

During the work, you will need to use the following tools:

1. level.
2. Roulette.
3. Trowel.
4. Plumb line.

5. Spatula.
6. With a hammer.

A solution container is also required.

Expert advice! Silicate pre-soaked in water will not absorb moisture from the solution during installation.

From how correct pull the cord, the evenness of the wall will depend.

To do this, it is fixed between the two extreme bricks. It is important to ensure that it is located parallel to the previous row - this will speed up the process and ensure the quality of the wall being erected.

Blocks can be stacked in any of two ways: "press-on" and "sticky". In the first case, a hard solution is used, with which all the seams are filled. This method allows you to create the most durable and reliable structure, although it takes more time.

In the second case, the joints are partially filled with plastic mortar. Brick laying in this case is faster, but not as high quality as in the first case. In order for the structure to be durable, it is additionally reinforced with plaster.

Price for building level

Building level

Knowing how to lay brick correctly, you will be able to independently build various residential and outbuildings from this material on your site.

Video - The sequence of laying sand-lime brick

Expert tips

To make the design as strong and reliable as possible, you should not neglect the advice of experienced craftsmen who know about the nuances of working with this material.

Here are some recommendations that will allow you not to make annoying mistakes:

1. Due to the high degree of moisture absorption by silicate, it should never be used as a building material for a foundation or basement.
2. Regardless of which silicate block was used in the construction of the walls - standard or one-and-a-half, in the future it will be necessary to produce high-quality insulation of structures. Experts do not recommend considering the construction of thicker walls as an alternative - this will cause additional stress on the foundation and financial costs. Insulation will be cheaper and more efficient.
3. Silicate bricks can be used as a front facing, combining it with other, cheaper, but providing high-quality thermal insulation materials (ordinary ceramic bricks).

4. The choice of color, size and type of silicate blocks is approached after the scope of their application has been determined.
5. Avoiding unnecessary material costs will allow an accurate calculation of its quantity. The block size directly affects the number of elements in 1 m ² masonry.
6. A silicate brick wall can be painted with any water-based paint. For example, silicate compounds protect the masonry surface from environmental influences, and acrylic compounds form a durable layer.

7. With the help of hydrated lime applied to silicate masonry, it is possible to mask defects and irregularities on its surface. However, it is worth remembering that this finishing method is the cheapest and most short-lived.

Video - Brick calculation