Ordinary brick. Classification

Today, the building materials market offers many options for building various buildings and structures. They differ in a number of characteristics. The total cost of construction, the quality of the new building depends on the correct choice of building materials. Brick has been considered one of the best options for many years. There are many types of material presented.

Which brick for building houses better, what points you should pay attention to when choosing, the advice of experienced professionals will help.

Peculiarities

Deciding what kind of brick to build a house, foundations, walls various buildings, the main qualities of the material presented should be considered. It appeared in ancient times. Modern brick production differs significantly from ancient technologies. However, this type of building materials has been used for a very long time.

In the past, bricks were made using traces of ancient buildings that were built from the most primitive material that can be attributed to the presented technology. It was clay blocks used a little later in Ancient Egypt.

Mankind has been using brick for many centuries. This is due to the practicality of the blocks. Buildings made of it are durable and strong. They can protect you from any bad weather. Today, brick production technology is constantly evolving. This allowed the production of many varieties of clay blocks. They differ in a number of characteristics.

Differences

There are several guidelines to help you get the right brick selection. How to choose presented building material, the advice of experienced experts will help. They argue that in this case it is necessary to take into account the scope of the presented blocks.

There are many types of bricks on the market. It may differ in manufacturing technology and composition. Also, the block structure can be different. The overall dimensions of the blocks also differ significantly. Their color may be different.

Bricks can be made with or without firing assistance. Each category has its own advantages and disadvantages. Non-firing production technology is characterized by hyper-pressed, silicate brick. Blocks of fireclay, ceramic type are subjected to heat treatment. When choosing, they take into account which object will be built from this material. It can be walls, foundations, facade decoration, plinth, chimneys and stoves. Brick is also used for the construction of fences, etc.

Material for building a house

There are certain recommendations what kind of brick to build a house. Kinds building materials in this case are diverse. To make the house strong, durable, red ceramic blocks are used. They can be hollow or solid.

Another option may be porous brick. It also belongs to the category For similar purposes, it is recommended to use silicate white brick. For the construction of a chimney, a furnace at home, it is recommended to purchase fireclay refractory blocks. Quality buildings are obtained by using

These varieties differ not only in operational properties, but also in cost. Therefore, their main characteristics, application features must be considered before purchasing building materials. Each of the above options has its own advantages and disadvantages.

Red ceramic brick

Those who want to build their own cottage or cottage should find out which brick is better for building a house. How to choose correct variety, is an important issue. One of the most popular options is red brick. Clay is used in its manufacture. The raw material is mixed with water. Further, additional components are added to the composition, which increase the strength of the blocks.

The feedstock is well mixed and rectangular blanks are formed from it. They are fired at a temperature of 200 ºС. Such processing allows to give the material a dense structure. Moisture can penetrate inside such a brick, but it will not collapse in this case.

The shade of a brick of this category can be different. It is used both for the construction of load-bearing structures and for decoration. Certain dyes are added to the composition. When erecting the front part of the building, it is necessary to use blocks from the same batch. Otherwise, they will be slightly different shade.

Solid, hollow brick

There are two main types of ceramic bricks. Blocks can be solid or hollow. In the first case, the material has a number of benefits. Which brick is better for building A comparison of the two categories of blocks presented will help.

Full-bodied varieties are used for laying load-bearing structures. It can be walls, foundation, plinth. Chimneys and ventilation ducts are also built from it. It is a strong, durable material. It has a high frost resistance.

There are solid bricks and disadvantages. It is characterized by low thermal conductivity. Therefore, it is laid out in two rows for the construction of walls. The price of such a brick is relatively high. Hollow bricks have cavities. it lightweight material, which does not release heat from the room. It is less costly. However, such a brick is more fragile. It cannot be used to create a foundation, a chimney.

porous brick

Choosing best brick for building a house, another option needs to be considered. This is a porous building material. It is made using the same technology as ceramic blocks, but sawdust is additionally added to the composition. This gives the material new qualities.

During the firing process, the sawdust burns out. In this case, pores appear in the brick. They help to increase the thermal insulation characteristics of the blocks. The presented brick differs in small weight. Its thermal conductivity is equal to that of natural wood. The porous brick differs in high sound insulation.

The advantages of the presented material should also include a smooth surface. It does not require additional finishing after the construction of the building. In this case, there are much more block sizes. It also speeds up and simplifies the construction process. This is a durable, frost-resistant brick. Its cost is high. However, when building a building, one row is enough. Also, the absence of the need for external decoration reduces the cost of building a house.

silicate brick

studying, which brick is better for building a house, you should consider one of the popular varieties. These are silicate blocks. They are white. This building material has a relatively low cost. This explains its demand.

The presented brick is made of lime and sand. Raw materials are processed using high pressure and temperature. Strength is added by the process of slaking lime.

The brick of the presented category is distinguished by high thermal insulation characteristics. It is strong enough. However, the disadvantage of the presented category of materials is its insufficient resistance to temperature changes, moisture and chemicals. Under these conditions, it quickly collapses.

Do not apply to the construction of foundations, chimneys, as well as buildings with high level humidity.

fireclay block

When choosing, it is necessary to consider the features of such material as blocks. They undergo special treatment. The presented material differs in high fire resistance. It withstands temperatures up to 1700ºС.

Fireclay powder is sintered with crushed clay. The texture of such a brick is grainy. Blocks may have different configurations. This material is used to create stoves, fireplaces, chimneys. The brick of this variety accumulates heat.

Clinker brick

Choosing what kind of brick to build a house, an option such as hyperpressed blocks should be considered. They are molded under high pressure. The basis for the creation of this brick is shell rock or limestone. Cement is also added to the composition.

It is a durable material resistant to various adverse effects. Hyperpressed brick withstands temperature changes, high humidity. This is a durable, high quality material. Brick of this variety is used to create foundations, facades, fireplaces. When laying it, you must leave a gap. This will ensure proper ventilation of the building.

Price

An important issue is the cost of the material. Approximate prices can be considered before purchase. Fireclay bricks are characterized by the highest cost. It can be purchased at a price of 11 thousand rubles / m³.

Clinker brick is a little cheaper. It can be purchased for 7 thousand rubles / m³. Even cheaper is a hollow facing brick. It can be purchased at a price of about 4 thousand rubles / m³. About 3.5 thousand rubles / m³ is a red full-bodied and porous ceramic brick. The thermal conductivity of the first variety is greater. Therefore, it will need to be purchased more for laying walls.

The masonry slotted brick is sold at a price of 2.5 thousand rubles / m³. Silicate white blocks are somewhat cheaper. They can be purchased at a price of 2-2.5 thousand rubles / m³. Depending on the characteristics of the material, building codes and requirements, one or another variety is used.

When choosing to build a house, it is necessary to take into account the climatic conditions, the features of the operation of the building. If the humidity of the environment is high, it is better not to use sand-lime brick.

If winters are characterized by severe frosts, this should be taken into account. The material must withstand frequent temperature changes.

When buying a brick, you need to pay attention to its quality. Blocks must be free of defects. Products presented for sale must have quality certificates. It is very important that the manufacturer exactly follows the technology for processing blanks. The durability of the building will depend on this.

Having considered which brick is better for building a house, you can choose the best option. In this case, the building will be used for a long time, it will be durable and reliable.

Even non-professionals know that ordinary building bricks are not suitable for the construction of stoves, fireplaces and outdoor barbecues. Rather, only the outer part can be built from it, and special refractory materials are needed for the firebox.

Such material is light fireclay brick, which has excellent refractory and heat-insulating properties.

Material Description

In addition to fireclay clay, sawdust, peat and other organic materials are added to the mass for the manufacture of such bricks, which, when high temperatures accompanying firing, burn out, leaving behind closed, air-filled pores. This reduces the weight of the product and reduces its thermal conductivity. Due to the repeated transition of thermal waves from one medium to another, lightweight brick has excellent thermal insulation properties.

Brands of lightweight fireclay bricks

Depending on the weight and volume, such a brick is divided into grades.

It is denoted by the abbreviation SHL or STL, where

• Ш - designation of fireclay composition of the material;
• L - weight category (lightweight);
• T - an indication that talc is present in the composition.

For reference. To characterize porous materials, the concepts of true and apparent density are used. The true density is called without taking into account voids, and the apparent density is the ratio of the mass of a brick to the volume it occupies.

The apparent density, which a lightweight refractory brick has, is one of its most important characteristics. The lower it is, the more air in the material, the lower its weight and thermal conductivity.

However, along with an increase in the volume of pores, the strength of the brick decreases, the coefficient of elasticity and resistance to loads decrease. Accordingly, the service life is reduced.

The most popular are the following brands:

• ShL-0.4 - ultra-lightweight products with an apparent density of 0.4 kg / cm 3. Their weight is only 0.7 kg. Used for lining furnaces with a maximum temperature of 1150 degrees Celsius.
• ShL-1.0 and ShL-1.3 are lightweight ceramic products with the apparent density corresponding to the marking. Their weight depends on the size and can vary from 1.7 to 2.2 kg for ShL-1.0 and from 2.0 to 2.6 kg for ShL-1.3. Withstand temperatures up to 1300 degrees, while maintaining their passport properties.

Shapes and sizes

If the double silicate brick M 150 is used for the construction of walls and therefore only a straight standard form is produced, then shaped products are required for the installation of furnaces and chimneys in various furnaces. Therefore, fireclay bricks are distinguished by a wide variety of shapes and sizes, which are regulated by GOST 21436-2004 and GOST 8691-73.

There are about 50 sizes in total, but the most popular are direct products:

• ShL-5 - with linear dimensions 230x114x65 mm;
• ShL-8 - with linear dimensions 250x124x65 mm.

Application area

The material is used for laying a heat-insulating layer in various thermal units with a heating temperature corresponding to the brand of brick:

• Electric and thermal furnaces;
• boilers;
• Steam pipelines;
• Evaporators;
• heaters;
• Domestic stoves and fireplaces;
• Chimneys.

Distinctive features and advantages

Compared with ordinary fireclay or ceramic bricks, lightweight bricks have a lot of advantages and unique qualities.

• High mechanical strength.
• Excellent thermal stability, the ability to withstand prolonged exposure to high temperatures without loss of properties.
• Resistant to aggressive chemicals.
• The ability to provide cost savings for the operation of thermal units.
• Light weight makes it possible to reduce the overall dimensions and weight of these units, thereby reducing labor costs for their construction and, accordingly, the cost of work.
• The instruction allows the use of lightweight bricks for facing hearths in furnaces, as it has a low coefficient of linear expansion.
• The insulating fireclay brick used in the lining of the furnaces reduces the heating time of the furnaces by a factor of five, thus saving fuel.

Note. In batch furnaces, the furnace of which is lined with bricks of the ShL brand, fuel consumption is saved by 40-45%. And in continuous furnaces - about 10%.

• A variety of standard sizes allows you to do the lining of furnaces and fireplaces of almost any shape with your own hands without the need for trimming and fitting.
• This is an environmentally friendly product that does not contain harmful substances that could be released when heated.
• A simple manufacturing technology, thanks to which the price of fireclay bricks is very affordable.

Conclusion

If you are going to build a sauna, wood-burning stove or fireplace in your house, pay attention to the material that you have just studied. According to its characteristics, it is ideal for the installation of the furnace part and chimney (see also the article). If something remains unclear to you, in the presented video in this article you will find additional information on this topic.

Seamless brick is a wall brick polished on the bed planes, which is laid with a seam 1 mm thick. A thin layer of mortar is applied to the bed either by dipping the brick into the mortar or by applying it with a roller to the bed plane. Closing with mortar of bonded joints due to the jagged joint of bricks is not required. Wall stones are unified with a height of 249 mm and are made for any wall thickness up to 365 mm. They are supplied with additional, sliding and corner bricks.

Filled bricks with walls 175 mm and 240 mm thick are filled with mortar after laying and therefore provide sufficient noise protection

Light brick

During production, easily burnable components, such as sawdust, are mixed into the raw material for bricks. During firing, air pores are formed in the brick; such bricks are called porous or light bricks.

Light brick designation (example):

Brick DIN 105 - HLzW6 - 0.7 - 10 DF (300)

Means light hollow brick W, compressive strength class 6, density class 0.7 in 10 DF format for a wall thickness of 30 cm (/ = 238 mm, b - 300 mm, h = 238 mm)

Their special property is their low density, ranging from 0.6 to 1.0 kg/dm3. Therefore, the heat-insulating ability of light bricks is higher than that of wall bricks. Especially it should be taken into account that the light brick in the short designation differs from the wall brick only in the density class. In addition to the usual compressive strength classes, lightweight bricks are also available in strength class 2.

Dimensions, formats and voids correspond to wall bricks. They are standardized according to DIN 105-2.

Lightweight multi-hollow brick W(HLzW) has a void B and is considered to be particularly heat-shielding. Such bricks are produced in formats starting from 2DF and especially often in large formats of stone-blocks starting from 8DF. They are not cold hardy.

Facing lightweight multi-hollow brick (VHLz) frost-resistant. Such bricks are suitable for exterior walls and exterior structures. The outer surface of such stones can be structured.

Wall slab light brick (HLzT) has various side lengths of 247, 297, 373 and 495 mm.

Lightweight long-hollow brick (LLz) and light long-hollow slab brick (LLp). Such bricks can be made with small embedded voids in the side zone or with large voids.

The construction market meets us with such abundance wall materials that sometimes you don’t know who to go to with questions and how to study everything that is offered. Here we classify traditional building bricks, which, despite their "advanced" age of several thousand years, do not lose their popularity as a reliable, durable, weather-resistant material.

What does an unprepared person know about him? Most people distinguish only red and white bricks, but there are more types of this stone, and they differ not only in color, but also in shape, size, composition of raw materials and production technologies. So what do you need to know about brick?

First of all, you need to understand that there are two kingdoms - Private brick and facial brick (these are the correct names according to GOST). The body of the wall is built with an ordinary brick, the outer surface of the wall is trimmed with a face brick. We classify facing bricks separately. Further, we are only talking about an ordinary brick.

Consider the characteristics of bricks important for laying walls when the brick is not visible from the outside.

Brick - construction material, small fake diamond correct form.

This is a standard building material (it is called so - standard brick, or wall, red, backfill, clay, working brick), which is used to build walls, less often foundations. It does not require high aesthetic qualities, so cracks and chips are not yet a sign of poor quality stone. In modern suburban construction, multilayer wall structures are adopted, so that an ordinary brick is most often hidden under insulation and decoration.

Types of ordinary bricks by material

Ceramic brick

Made from clay (sometimes a mixture of various clays), after molding and drying, it went through high-temperature firing (about 1000 ° C). This is the most recognizable red brick. A high-quality stone has a matte rough surface, emits a characteristic sonorous sound upon impact, is porous and uniform, light at a break. The requirements for clay bricks are presented in GOST 530-2012 "Brick and ceramic stones".

Brick ceramic clinker

Theoretically, clinker bricks can be used as an ordinary brick. But usually clinker bricks are brought from afar, it requires special refractory clay and increased energy consumption for firing, therefore it is expensive, without significant advantages for the wall structure. Therefore, it is produced and used mainly as a facing brick.

silicate brick

Made from a mixture of sand and lime (90% quartz sand and 10% air lime), instead of roasting, it is steamed in an autoclave. We usually recognize white color, however, on request, it can be made with the addition of a color pigment, for use as a face.

The main advantage - low price. It has a slightly lower thermal conductivity than ceramic, but still such a brick is not “warm” enough for a modern cottage. Disadvantages - high hygroscopicity (absorbs water), low frost resistance (F50) and more weight.

Requirements for the quality, size and appearance of silicate bricks are similar to those for ceramic bricks and are set out in GOST 379-2015 "Silicate bricks, stones, blocks and slabs".

Silicate brick is not as versatile as ceramic, it cannot be used in foundations and basements. fireplaces, stoves and other critical structures.

Concrete brick

It happens vibropressed and hyperpressed - the difference in pressure during manufacture). It is rarely used for building walls of houses. Made from cement. Very heavy, cold and expensive. Brick made of durable concrete grades can be used in places of high loads. Such bricks often contain salts, which, when wet, can seep onto the facade in the form of white efflorescence.

Refractory brick

Refractory, brick is designed for finishing stoves and fireplaces. There are brands of ceramic bricks for laying stoves. A more specific look, for the hottest zone of the firebox, is fireclay bricks. It is easily recognizable by its characteristic sand color. It is resistant to strong heat and is able to withstand temperatures up to 1650 ° C.

Brick size and weight

Standard sizes in construction are three (difference in height):

• Single brick (single row) - 250 x 120 x 65 mm, weight 2–2.3 kg
• One and a half brick (thickened) - 250 x 120 x 88 mm, weight 3–3.2 kg
• Double brick (2NF) - 250 x 120 x 138 mm, weight 4.8–5 kg

There are also wedge-shaped bricks for laying radius elements.

There are more standard sizes of face bricks for wall decoration, but we consider only ordinary bricks. Ceramic stones of large dimensions are already called building blocks.

Brick strength

The most important characteristic of a brick is strength, that is, the ability to resist deformations and internal stresses without collapsing. According to the strength indicator, the brick is divided into grades, denoted by the letter "M" with a numerical designation: brick M-50, brick M-75, brick M-100, etc. The number indicates the permissible load in kilograms per square centimeter in accordance with GOST 530-2012. The higher the numerical value of the brand, the stronger the brick.

brick construction

The brick is corpulent and hollow (slotted).

Solid brick - not having voids (through holes) or with voids not exceeding 13%.

Hollow brick (slotted or perforated) - having through holes(voids) of various shapes and sizes, due to which it has less weight and greater heat-insulating ability.

Hollow brick is cheaper to manufacture. The use of hollow ordinary bricks reduces the load on the foundation. The difference in thermal conductivity is not very significant when comparing the thermal conductivity of finished masonry. Fastening of some types facade decoration to slotted brick can be unreliable. Solid brick better withstands loads (vertical and pull-out fasteners).

Frost resistance of brick

The resistance of a brick to changes in temperature and humidity is determined by such a quality as frost resistance - the ability of the material to withstand the change of thawing and freezing in a water-saturated state. Frost resistance is indicated by the letter "F" with a numerical value and is measured in cycles: brick F-15, brick F-35, brick F-50, etc.

It is important to understand that the saturation of the brick with moisture in a cold climate does not occur from the outside, but from the inside of the premises. In our practice, we see how, in combination with improper finishing, the brick is actively destroyed by freezing moisture in it - this is a serious danger of operation.

The brand of frost resistance of bricks for construction is chosen in accordance with regulatory documentation, depending on the climatic characteristics of the region; the lower the frost resistance index, the cheaper the brick. This indicator must be checked before buying the material.

Thermal conductivity of a brick

Thermal conductivity - the ability of a brick to conduct thermal energy through its own volume. The actual thermal conductivity depends directly on the density of the material and on voids. So, heavy and durable clinker bricks of the M500 brand have the highest coefficient of thermal conductivity, and less durable ceramics of the M75 brand have the lowest.

A wide range of ceramic products manufactured today by the industry for the construction of houses, depending on the purpose, can be divided into wall, cladding, roofing, flooring, road, heat-insulating, refractory, acid-resistant and sanitary. The most versatile among them is ceramic brick. This traditional wall material is also used for laying stoves (refractory bricks), fireplaces and chimneys, as it retains its strength at high temperatures. Acid-resistant bricks are not affected by alkalis and acids, clinker bricks have increased wear resistance, so open areas, paths, steps, etc. are laid out with them. Another type of ceramic brick - facing - has a beautiful appearance, sometimes even a decorative pattern on the surface. It is characterized by low moisture absorption and high frost resistance, which is very important for a material used for outdoor decoration.

Like any other ceramic product, a brick is made from clay (by plastic molding or semi-dry pressing), and then fired in a kiln, after which a baked clay bar is obtained. Experts note that not every building material that looks like a bar is a brick. So, for example, white silicate brick, which is obtained from sand (90%), lime (10%) and a small amount of additives, is not a brick as such.

Ordinary red brick (corpulent, construction, ordinary). Today, most of all bricks produced are solid bricks, produced by semi-dry pressing. It is used for laying load-bearing (external and internal) walls, internal pillars, fireplaces and stoves (for parts not in contact with open fire), chimneys, as well as load-bearing structures that fully utilize the strength of bricks.

A solid red brick of classic dimensions (length - 250, width - 120, height - 65 mm) weighs from 3.5 to 3.8 kg. It can contain 8-13% of technological voids, has a density, as a rule, 1600 kg / cu. m for maximum strength. brickwork. Its main disadvantages are its heavy weight and high thermal conductivity. As a result, the outer walls, completely laid out of it, have to be made 2-2.5 bricks thick, which is not advisable from the point of view of strength, and the large weight of the walls creates a significant load on the foundation. The color of the brick - from light red to brown - is due to the presence of iron oxides in the clay.

Note

Among the main specifications solid bricks include strength and frost resistance. Marking M reflects the degree of strength of the brick. Solid bricks are produced in the following grades. 76, 100, 125, 150, 200, 250 and 300 (the figure shows how much compression pressure per square centimeter the product can withstand).

The frost resistance grade is determined by the number of cycles of alternate freezing and thawing that a brick can withstand while in water for more than a day. The marking for this parameter contains the letter F (existing frost resistance grades: F15, F25, F35, F50). In warm regions, as a rule, building bricks of the F15 brand are used, in colder regions - F35. Of no small importance is such a characteristic of a brick as water absorption, which should not be lower than 6 and not higher than 16%.

When buying building bricks, you need to know that the presence of some defects is not considered a marriage for it: broken corners 10-15 mm deep and damage to ribs up to 10 mm deep, 10-15 mm long (two defects per piece); cracks up to 30 mm long (one each for the spoon and bond faces); spalls of the surface with a depth of 3-10 mm (up to three pieces per brick).

Outside, walls made of building bricks can be lined with facing bricks or covered with plaster.

hollow brick (hole, slot, effective, self-supporting - from the names it follows that it is used mainly for unloaded structures). Bulk density of effective brick does not exceed 1500 kg/cu. m. It is not recommended to use it for laying foundations, plinths and walls of damp rooms. Due to the fact that its voids make up more than 20-45% of the volume, the weight and thermal conductivity of the wall are significantly reduced, which makes it possible to reduce the thickness by half a brick while maintaining thermal insulation properties and, accordingly, reduce the load on the foundation. A hollow brick can have through holes, as well as holes closed on one side. They can be round, square, rectangular, oval and arranged vertically or horizontally. Bricks with horizontal holes are less durable (M 25 - 100).

When laying walls, care must be taken to ensure that the voids are not clogged with mortar, otherwise the wall will be “cold”. Therefore, during construction country houses more often they try to use a brick with voids of small diameter and a thick mortar. Hollow brick can be single, one and a half (250 x 120 x 88 mm) and double (250 x 120 x 103/138), as well as in the form of large-format ceramic blocks.

Light brick (porous, ultra-efficient) is lighter than hollow, its density is less than 950 kg / cu. m. It has a porous structure, which is formed during production. To obtain pores, sawdust, coal, peat, finely chopped straw are added to the raw mass, which, burning out during firing, form small voids - micropores - in the clay massif. Due to the porosity, the heat-shielding properties of the brick are significantly increased and its weight is reduced. Its main advantage is that it has the lowest thermal conductivity among the materials of the group under consideration.

Facing brick (front, front) are used for laying external and internal walls with high requirements for surface quality (they usually lay out the outer, visible layer of masonry). Although the cost of brick cladding exceeds plastering work, the clad facade will not require renovation for a long time.

The front brick has the correct shape and a flat surface of the outer walls. Standard sizes he has the same as the ordinary: 250 x 120 x 65 mm. Some manufacturers make it in a smaller width - 85 mm. The front brick is distinguished by a better execution of the surface of the spoon and bonder faces. Some of its types have chamfers on the front edges, which ensure accurate seams. facade brick mostly hollow, has good frost resistance, beautiful appearance. It comes in various colors (from almost white to dark brown) and shapes (rounded, wedge-shaped, trapezoidal, etc.).

A kind of facing - a brick with an external glazed or engobed coating. In the first case, it has a shiny colored surface - glaze, which is a waterproof layer with increased frost resistance. Decorative color coating engobe - smooth, opaque, matte layer. It consists of white or colored clay brought to a liquid consistency. Glazed engobed brick is used for original design cladding of external and internal walls. A wide range of colors allows you to implement virtually any design idea.

A variety of face brick is textured, with a relief pattern on the surface, and shaped (figured, profiled), which is used for laying complex shapes. The shaped brick has smoothed corners and edges, beveled or curved edges. With it, it is much easier to build arches, round columns, decorative window sills or cornices. The use of shaped bricks makes it possible to avoid the labor-intensive operations of cutting conventional or face bricks and provides architects with additional features wall decorations.

When buying a front brick, you need to make sure that there are no sags, cracks and bubbles on the colored surface. It should also be taken into account that the colored layer of glazed and engobed coatings is quite fragile, so such products require careful handling.

When buying a front brick, you need to make sure that there are no cracks and delaminations on the surface, and also that the color is even, the edges are smooth, and the shape is accurate. On the surface there should be no "dutiks" - particles that swell and burst under the influence of moisture, forming holes. Walls made of bricks with such a defect turn out to be pockmarked, so they will have to be plastered. It is necessary to pay attention to the packaging of the front brick: each row must be laid with sheets of thick paper or polyethylene. Failure to comply with this requirement leads to the formation of scuffs during transportation. Bricks are delivered on pallets. Delivery in bulk and unloading by dropping are not allowed. Facing bricks are recommended to be purchased with a margin of 15-20%, since its shade may change from batch to batch, and if you have to buy more bricks, this will affect the facade of the house.

History reference

The history of the use of bricks in construction goes back to ancient times. Dwellings were built from it in Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia: the fat clay of the local soil was molded into large pieces or cut into regular bricks. They were dried in the air under the scorching rays of the sun or burned on fire. Somewhere even glazed. Unlike modern bricks, Mesopotamia pottery was square and flat. Later, this form was borrowed by Iran, Central Asia, as well as the countries of the Middle East.

The architects of Ancient Greece and Rome also did not ignore brick, despite the fact that they preferred natural hewn stone - marble, tuff, travertine, etc. But it was in ancient times that brick acquired a more familiar modern oblong shape.

In Byzantium, baked brick was the main building material for many centuries. Masonry was done on lime mortar with the addition of crushed brick chips. In some places brick rows alternated with stone ones.

A similar method of masonry can also be observed in ancient Russian buildings, where plinth bricks were widely used, which were made from kaolin clays. For laying pilasters, cornices, and octagonal pillars, patterned segmental bricks with pointed and semicircular ends were used. outer side masonry was treated with grout with trimming of seams.

A few centuries later, ceramic bricks became outwardly similar to modern ones, and from the 17th century the word “brick” came into use (allegedly borrowed from the Volga Tatars). Since the construction on the territory Kievan Rus the first stone-brick building - at the end of the 10th century - a lot of time passed, but despite this, brick as a building material has not lost its popularity.

Clinker brick used for paving roads, streets, recreation areas. In its production, refractory clays are used, and firing takes place at higher temperatures than for ordinary bricks. The result is a building material with a high density, suitable for coatings with harsh operating conditions. It is produced not lower than M 250. It can withstand at least 50 cycles of alternating freeze-thaw.

fireclay brick made from chamotte - refractory clay. It is made of a classic, trapezoidal, wedge-shaped and arched shape, and is used in places of masonry in contact with open fire, as it can withstand temperatures over 1600 degrees Celsius.

Marriage are all deviations of brick sizes from the standard. They should not exceed: ±5 mm in length, ±4 mm in width, ±3 mm in thickness. For facing bricks: ±4 mm in length, ±3 mm in width, 2 + 3 mm in thickness. The appearance of the product is also compared with the standard: the surface of the faces should be flat, the edges should be straight (for building bricks, rounding of vertical edges with a radius of up to 15 mm is allowed).

Defective brick is easy to identify by color. For example, a pale pink or brownish mustard hue indicates underburnt. Such a brick is fragile, and strongly absorbs water, is not frost-resistant, and makes a dull sound when struck. It can only be used in places not in contact with precipitation.

Dark brown color or black marks and swollen, broken shape indicates that the brick is burnt. Builders call it iron ore. Such a brick is very hard, has a vitreous surface with deep cracks, almost does not absorb water, therefore it does not fit well with the mortar. It is not afraid of exposure to water and frost, while it has increased thermal conductivity. If the burnt brick has a black core and the shape is not broken, it is used for laying foundations, floors and basements.

Efflorescence is another evidence of marriage.– white spots and stains on the surface brick wall. They don't show up right away though. The reason for their formation is salt, which is part of the raw material for the manufacture of bricks or mortar, as well as the inconsistency of the masonry mortar with the composition of the clay from which the brick is made. Under the influence of atmospheric moisture, salt crystals grow inside the material, filling microvoids, and coming to the surface in the form of efflorescence. The best remedy from efflorescence - special preparations with which the walls are treated. They can be purchased at hardware stores.

Any quality brick should ring when struck, on its surface there should be no cracks, spots, efflorescence, broken and blunt corners. Marriage can appear as a result of not only production errors, but also due to improper transportation. Brick is recommended to be transported on special pallets. The manufacturer, as a rule, releases its products to the consumer in a similar way, and either sells or leases pallets. Bricks should not be unloaded in bulk, like crushed stone from a dump truck (as a result of such unloading, marriage can reach 20%), but extremely carefully.

When buying a brick, check its technical and environmental certificate to know its characteristics. The front brick must be bought of the same brand as the building one, so that the entire wall is of the same strength.

The controlled environmental parameter is the specific effective activity of natural radionuclides, which should not exceed 370 Bq/kg (it depends on geographical location deposits of clay used to make bricks).

! Thematic articles and materials posted on the site www.site are for informational purposes only and in no way are a guide to action. Please, when building a house, repairing and decorating, contact the professionals!