What brand of brick is needed for the basement of the house. Choosing the right brick for building a basement. This clay contains

For any house, the foundation is the most important part that ensures the stability and reliability of the entire structure. The value of the basement is also very great, because its task is to create an even strong support for walls and roofs, as well as to protect people and their property from dampness and cold. It is for this reason that it is impossible to save on the construction of the named part of the building - only the most quality materialguaranteeing durability and functional suitability.

We will tell you in detail about which brick to use for the basement in this article.

In the brick used for basement walls, the main qualities are described in three words:

• durability;
• strength;
• decorativeness.

However, if subsequently you intend to completely plaster the structure, then the last point can be ignored. A building material, first of all, must maintain its shape and integrity, despite sufficiently high loads and the effect of external negative factors.

In general, now more and more often the basement is being built from monolithic concrete, but as practice shows, bricks are not much inferior to it in terms of reliability, and often cost much less.

For Russia, there is one more physical parameter that cannot be ignored - frost resistance. Low hygroscopicity is no less important - dampness, as is known, is common in most regions of our country.

Base bricks must meet the following requirements:

• have a homogeneous structure (check them for cracks, deformations and chips);
• do not vary in size;
• possess high technical characteristics;
• be environmentally friendly;
• adhere well to the solution.

Best of all, these requirements are met by clinker or traditional red (exceptionally solid) brick.

Why are frost and moisture resistance the most important properties of a suitable base / plinth material? The thing is that water has an unpleasant property to seep into cracks, from which it is almost impossible to eliminate it. In the cold season, it turns into ice and expands, disrupting the structure of the brick. As a result, the blocks gradually fall apart into pieces. The more freezing cycles are indicated in the technical documentation, the longer the material will retain its strength.

When choosing a brick that is ideal for your regional conditions, check out the technical characteristics of its different types. Below we will consider the three main types sold throughout our country:

• ceramic;
• silicate;
• red.

Silicate brick

Despite the apparent strength, this variety does not tolerate long-term exposure to high humidity. The technology of its manufacture gives them a rather large porosity and therefore, being in dampness, silicate brick:

• actively absorbs water from both the soil and the atmosphere;
• gradually loses strength;
• falling apart soon.

For this reason, the type of building material under consideration is suitable only for private houses built in dry and warm regions, and even then provided that the foundation is reliably protected by waterproofing, and is also separated by a moisture-proof membrane from the basement.

Traditional red brick

The essential difference between this type of building material and the one previously described is the principle of manufacture. If silicate is produced by pressing, then red after molding is fired in special furnaces. As a result, the clay significantly changes its properties, which allows products from it to be used for the construction of the basement of the building.

At the same time, ordinary red brick is quite hygroscopic, therefore only some of its brands are suitable for our purposes. Quite decent and relatively inexpensive option can be called M150. This construction material is able to maintain its operational properties even after 50 freezing cycles. Moreover, many modernized enterprises produce bricks under this brand, the strength of which is higher than required by GOST. One has only to understand that the M150 is recommended to be used exclusively in dry areas, where it does not rain too often, and the water in the ground does not linger for a long time.

For regions with high humidity, the M250 brand is most suitable.

Ceramic brick

This material is recognized by all experts on merit as the most ideal option for the construction of plinths. Today, the domestic industry produces many types of ceramic blocks. This category, in particular, includes the clinker bricks we mentioned at the beginning of the article.

The variety in question is made from a special kind of clay, and the molded blocks are fired at very high temperatures, turning the raw material into glass. It is not difficult to distinguish a clinker brick - it emits a high-pitched ringing when struck.

Ceramic brick:

• not afraid of dampness;
• calmly withstands large frosts;
• not inferior in strength to concrete.

Basic requirements for the base

If the walls of the house are also made of bricks, then the basement must be built with a thickness of at least 51 centimeters. For log structures, 25 cm is enough.

The composition of the masonry mixture, as well as its consistency, is also extremely important. The recipe is as follows:

• cement (minimum M200) -1 part;
• sand (quarry) - up to 7;
• lime dough - 0.7.

The correct ready-made mortar is well kept on the trowel with a lump. In too liquid sand quickly settles, which reduces the overall strength. For better plasticity, it is allowed to add:

• liquid soap;
• washing powder;
• special formulations.

In the first 2 cases, the dose is no more than a tablespoon per bucket.

Before starting the construction of the base, put waterproofing on the end of the foundation. At a minimum, two layers of roofing material glued with bitumen are suitable. More efficient use modern materials - they are more durable and reliable.

The minimum width of the base is four rows (30 centimeters), but experts recommend making it higher. The farther the overlap of the first floor is from the ground, the more comfortable it is to live in the house.

The basement floor is designed to protect the building from the negative effects of precipitation, ground moisture, sudden changes in temperature and others. For the base, it is recommended to take a material that is resistant to such external manifestations, which will perfectly cope with other operating conditions. Today, for the manufacture of a base, you can use various material, but brick remains in demand. This building material can be called universal, it is used for the construction of houses, construction of external and interior walls, for cladding of facades and the construction of fences.

Brick is a traditional building material with excellent thermal insulation properties. He is the best option for the construction of the basement of the house.

Advantages of bricks for basement works

When laying with bricks, the following requirements are taken into account:

Diagram of the basement of the foundation: A - chain system for binding corners 1 brick thick, B - C 1 1/2 bricks. 1 - Three-four, 2 - Half, 3 - Four.

1. The strength should be high, since it is on the base that a significant negative influence external environment.
2. The brick itself should not have any chips, cracks, or traces of deformation.
3. The size of each brick must be the same; you cannot use materials that do not have an even surface, the dimensions of which do not correspond to the norm.
4. The service life should be long, since it will be difficult and costly to repair or replace.
5. The brick should not crack with the onset of frost, it is best to take material that tolerates sharp temperature changes.
6. The material must be environmentally friendly, not emitting harmful and toxic substances.
7. The product must be resistant to the negative effects of moisture, do not absorb water. This property is required for the reason that it is the basement that will protect the facade of the house from soil and sedimentary moisture.
8. The adhesion to the mortar should be excellent.

Red ceramic, silicate, acid-resistant, clinker bricks can be used for finishing the basement. All listed types possess the necessary properties.

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Basement laying conditions

For it is necessary to comply with certain conditions, in which case the structure will turn out to be durable and strong. It will perfectly withstand even the most unfavorable operating conditions and the negative influence of the external environment.

Acid-resistant brick is characterized by low water absorption, resistance to various aggressive environments and high temperatures.

• 1 part of cement grade M200;
• 6.7 parts of refined sand;
• 0.7 parts lime dough.

With the addition of lime, the resulting solution becomes more plastic, it is easy to fit, it turns out to be strong and resistant to adverse conditions. If there is no lime dough, it can be easily replaced with clay, the proportion will be exactly the same. If the solution does not contain lime, then the ratio of cement to sand will require a different one. It will be enough 1 part of cement and 4 parts of sand for M200 grade and 8 parts of sand for M400 grade cement.

The amount of water is determined in the course of mixing, the solution should not turn out to be liquid or excessively hard. Its consistency should resemble thick sour cream; during laying, the solution should not spread over the surface.

Various forms of the base: a - protruding, b - in the same plane with the wall, c - sinking, 1 - outer wall, 2 - waterproofing, 3 - foundation.

In some cases, when preparing masonry mortar, its delamination is observed, i.e. sand settles, water protrudes at the top. You cannot use it in this form, you must add clay or lime dough. You can put a tablespoon amount of washing powder in a bucket of water.

When the basement is laid out, 390 pieces of bricks with dimensions of 250 * 120 * 65 mm are used for each cube of the structure, mortar is required in the amount of ¼ of a cube. When calculating, it is better to slightly increase the quantity, since more bricks may be required for cutting. Breaking bricks can significantly increase the cost of masonry. So it is best to prepare 0.3 cubic meters of mortar for masonry and 400 pieces of bricks of the selected type.

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Types of brick for masonry

Due to its high density, thermal conductivity and moisture absorption, sand-lime brick can be used in buildings with heavy load on load-bearing walls.

What a brick fit better Total? Any brick can be used for the basement, but today 4 groups have proven themselves, which are most suitable for this. Such materials include: clinker bricks, ordinary solid ceramic, acid-resistant, silicate. All of them differ not only in appearance, but also in their properties, area of \u200b\u200buse, composition, manufacturing conditions.

One of the most expensive materials for the construction of a basement is clinker brick, which has high strength and visual appeal. Such a plinth will have numerous advantages, including durability, high reliability, the ability to absorb moisture by 3-5% of the brick mass. Of the defining properties of clinker bricks, a high level of reliability should be noted. It perfectly protects the structure from negative external conditions. When cladding with clinker bricks, a beautiful, reliable, stable base is obtained, which perfectly resists moisture, sudden temperature changes, heat, frost.

After the completion of masonry and others construction works there is no longer a need to use complex insulation and cladding work, since the basement is obtained with exactly the properties that are required. There is an opportunity to save on other materials. Experts advise building a house from clinker bricks, since the structure will be durable. It can be used for any region, it is used for houses of any area and size, providing excellent construction quality.

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Acid-resistant plinth brick

Ceramic bricks are highly resistant to moisture, sudden temperature changes and severe frosts.

For the construction of the basement, acid-resistant brick can be used when the environment is aggressive, it is necessary to provide protection against high temperatures, humidity and other extremely unfavorable conditions. This material has a low level of water absorption. Acid-resistant building bricks are considered durable, their service life is much longer than even that of ordinary ceramic bricks. It withstands aggressive influences and unfavorable rock conditions, in which other building material quickly deteriorates.

Brick is made from a special material, it contains high quality clay and dunite.

The processing is carried out thoroughly, which ensures the highest resistance to heat and heat, aggressive effects, as evidenced by the name of the material itself. Only high quality bricks are suitable for the basement. The problem is that if you save money and buy material of not so high quality, then it will quickly begin to crack, and will be released into the atmosphere harmful substances... In a normal situation, he cannot do any harm. An acid-resistant material is used for the basement only where the level of protection of the house is required serious. High density allows the material to withstand heavy loads, this brick can be used even if the number of storeys is large. In areas with unfavorable conditions, the basements of even multi-storey city buildings are laid out with such bricks.

11 June, 2014 - 19:12

A foundation that is located above the surface of the ground is called a plinth. Given its close proximity to the ground, it requires special attention to its construction.

In particular, to the materials used in this. Today, despite the fact that brick cannot be considered the optimal building material for arranging the basement of a building, it is for a number of reasons that it is most often used for these purposes. To protect the future house from possible risks, you need to understand which brick to choose in each specific case. Right choice will provide good heat and waterproofing, which is what the basement should actually do, regardless of whether you laid it out with your own hands or used the work of professionals.

So, which brick for the basement should you choose? It is impossible to give an unambiguous answer to this question. Experts and builders disagree, given the fact that a lot of factors affect the characteristics of the basement, and therefore the brick from which it was decided to be raised. These are the properties of the cement mortar used, and climatic conditions exploitation of the future home, and even the method of installation. We will not touch on how to lay the base in this article. We only note that for most cases the optimal value for cement mortar M75 is considered to be a masonry of a brick of a grade not lower than M100.

Brick selection criteria

As a building material, brick for a basement must meet certain parameters. This is, first of all, strength, moisture absorption and frost resistance... The higher the strength, the higher loads the brick can withstand before the stage of its destruction begins. However, a high moisture index, on the contrary, indicates that it is better to look for other material, especially in harsh climatic zones. The fact is that the higher the moisture absorption rate, the lower the frost resistance of the building material. The latter indicator is measured by how many times a brick can be frozen and thawed before it begins to collapse. How to make, you will learn from the materials on the site.

Clinker brick

Undoubtedly, the basement of a house made of bricks of this type, with a very high external attractiveness, is also distinguished by the greatest strength. True, its cost is higher than others. But the main advantages of clinker bricks - durability, attractiveness and reliability - are worth it. Its moisture absorption capacity is only 3-5%.

Acid resistant brick

It feels equally good at both low and high temperatures, and is deservedly considered "eternal". But when purchasing such a brick, you need to be extremely careful. The fact is that its production must comply with the most stringent state standardsviolation of which can lead to the fact that the brick, when laying and operating, will emit harmful substances into the environment, in the literal sense of the word, poisoning people. Therefore, the manufacturer of this brick must be absolutely trusted.

Silicate brick

High density, thermal conductivity and moisture absorption are the main advantages of this building material. However, using it when erecting a basement, you need to take into account the fact that it will definitely require finishing - his appearance leaves much to be desired. Created from sand and lime, sand-lime brick has a fairly low cost, but the need decorative finishing can negate this dignity.

Ceramic solid red brick

Universal building material. They also use it when lifting the base. But it must be borne in mind that in conditions of high humidity for the construction of a basement it is better to use a certain type of it. For example, well burnt. You can - even slightly burnt.

A basement is a part of a building that is an extension of the foundation above ground level but below the ground floor level.

The basement is the second most important building structure after the foundation. Like the foundation, the basement must be made as strong and durable as possible, since it, like the foundation, carries the load from the entire building, but at the same time it must work in the most unfavorable conditions:

• in case of rain, even with a cornice on the roof, a good blind area and a drainage system, the basement, all the same, becomes wet, because the rain can be oblique or because in all weather conditions splashes of water invariably fall on the surface of the base
• in winter period snowdrifts touching the surface of the base. Their height depends on the territorial area. In front of the Urals, for example, at least 1m. Last winter it was 2m. In conditions when, not only in spring, but even in winter, there is an alternation of thaws and frosts due to periodic temperature drops. As a result, the surface of the base gets wet and immediately freezes ...
• a large load on the basement from higher structures of the building: walls, floors, roofs, snow on the roof, furniture and people in the house, etc.
• a huge risk of the basement becoming wet through the capillary rise of aggressive groundwater from the foundation ...
• freezing of the basement wall in winter, because, often, a brick basement is made where there is no basement, but only an unheated technical underground: the space under the house between the ground level and the ceiling of the 1st floor.

What brick to make a basement

What kind of brick to make a basement? What do building codes say about this?

Clause 1.3 SNiP II-22-81 * "Stone and reinforced stone structures" states which brick cannot be used for the basement:

"1.3 *. Application silicate bricks , stones and blocks; stones and blocks of aerated concrete; hollow ceramic bricks and stones, concrete blocks with voids; semi-dry pressing ceramic bricks are allowed for the outer walls of rooms with a wet mode, provided that a vapor barrier coating is applied to their inner surfaces. The use of these materials for the walls of rooms with wet conditions, as well as not allowed for outer walls of cellars and plinths . «

The types of bricks highlighted in blue: silicate and hollow ceramic are just those bricks that many, for some reason, still use for laying a basement.

Most likely this happens when the production of only sand-lime brick or hollow and, therefore, the developer buys a brick that can be purchased closer and without problems.

Sand-lime brick is not recommended for a base / plinth, because it absorbs moisture very well. And, as we discussed earlier, the basement design is most susceptible to atmospheric influences both in summer and in winter, not to mention the off-season.

The only exception can be the southern regions of the country, where rain is sorely lacking, and snow falls in a thin layer in winter, as a gift for a change.

Hollow bricks, although the strength corresponds to the standards, but when the basement freezes in winter, frost forms on the walls of the voids, which, when thawed, turns into water. The water inside the brick “doesn't eat very well,” as overseas gurus-builders would say in the old days. It is good if the water is absorbed by the body of the brick and then evaporates at a positive temperature. And if the water froze again and turned into ice, which began to expand the brick voids from the inside. This threatens the brick with cracking and destruction.

"6.65. Foundations, basement walls and plinthsshould be predominantly designed as prefabricated large concrete blocks. It is also allowed to use small concrete blocks and stones, natural stones of regular and irregular shape, monolithic concrete and rubble concrete, well fired ceramic bricks plastic pressing .»

If you follow the letter of the law, then according to building codes, it turns out that in many regions, only well-fired ceramic bricks of plastic pressing are universally suitable for a basement - this is, more simply, an ordinary corpulent red brick.

Other materials according to clause 6.65 SNiP are justified where they are more common in comparison with ceramic bricks, for example natural stones in the mountainous regions of the country it is cheaper (almost free, if you take it yourself from the quarry).

What brand of brick is needed for the basement

To determine what brand of brick is needed for the basement, we will again turn to building codes.

Although earlier in the article on the brickwork of the basement, the brand of brick for the basement was already indicated, and, nevertheless, let's clarify the frost resistance of the brick according to clause 2.3 and table 1 according to SNiP II-22-81 *:

For external walls in buildings with dry and normal humidity conditions, the frost resistance of bricks is taken as F25.

Of course, during construction, any developer “dreams” that his basement or technical underground is dry! But, after all, it is impossible to predict different conditions and unforeseen circumstances that only open after the building is in operation….

Therefore, it would be good to insure against frost resistance by 1-2 steps: suddenly, for some reason, the ground in the technical underground will be saturated with moisture or underground waters will constantly break through into the basement and it will turn into a room with a very humid regime. .. Then the margin in strength and frost resistance of the basement brick will allow you to gain time to find and eliminate the cause of moisture.

Since, nevertheless, we are talking about which brick is better for the basement, then for the sake of justice it is worth noting that there are also other bricks that surpass the red solid brick in their characteristics.

We are talking about clinker and fireclay bricks.

Clinker brick for plinth

The main advantages of clinker bricks for a plinth:

• water absorption no more than 5%
• strength from М250
• frost resistance value from F100
• increased wear resistance

Clinker bricks are used:

• for facing the plinth. You can make the basement masonry of red brick with clinker bricks facing from the outside
• for paving sidewalks, footpaths and even on the roadway.

An ideal material with high wear resistance, which allows you to keep the front surface of the brick in its original form for a long time.

In terms of its characteristics, it is much superior to ordinary red brick. But…, its cost corresponds to its qualities.

Fireclay brick for plinth

Fireclay or refractory bricks. Its name speaks for itself:

• water absorption no more than 3%
• strength from М250
• frost resistance F15-50
• increased acid resistance - excellent protection against any aggressive influences
• fireproof - able to withstand very high temperature and its drops. Fire protection guaranteed!

But, is its acid resistance and increased fire resistance needed, for example, for a bath base ???? Not to mention the price of bricks ...

So, the summary: there is nothing better for a plinth than an ordinary red solid brick. If you take the M150-200 brand and the frost resistance F35-50, then it will fully withstand all the loads and will adequately serve 100 years.

If you don't like its appearance, then there are options for facing the basement:

1. clinker brick
2. facing brick
3. natural stone cladding
4. artificial stone cladding
5. cladding with basement siding panels imitating stone

And these types of work on lining the basement already depend on design solution your facade and the site as a whole.

Once again, let's summarize which brick is better for the basement:

• unequivocally: red ordinary corpulent
• by grade for strength - M150
• by brand for frost resistance F50

Clinker and fireclay bricks are also suitable for use in the masonry of the basement due to their strength and frost-resistant grades, but they are much more expensive in price. You choose based on your capabilities.

Tagged

Recommendations on which brick is better to use in the manufacture of prefabricated tape or from small-format materials are given in SP 15.13330 of 2012. Masonry is allowed from ordinary red, facing solid ceramic bricks with a width of 51 cm or more, or concrete blocks measuring 20 x 20 x 40 cm.With an unlimited budget, you can choose a clinker stone with the highest possible moisture resistance. For the basement part of the foundation, the requirements are much lower than for underground structures.

Despite the variety of wall materials used for masonry, only red ceramic bricks and wall concrete blocks can be used in foundations. Foundation ceramics are classified according to the following criteria:

• dimensions - normal format (NF) 6.5 x 12 x 25 cm, double (2.1 NF) 14 x 12 x 25 cm, one and a half (1.4 NF) 88 x 12 x 25 cm;
• appointment - front, private;
• frost resistance - F25, F35, F50.

Moreover, manufacturers guarantee the specified values \u200b\u200bof frost resistance only for the basement part of the foundation masonry. Underground structures have a minimum resource (one and a half times less than reinforced concrete). It is forbidden to operate brick strip foundations at a high (less than 1 m from the bottom) groundwater level (GWL) or the possibility of its seasonal rise.

Solid ceramic bricks are the best choice.

The characteristics of a solid concrete block are different. The strength of concrete is twice as high, frost resistance is F15 - F50, the format is much larger. Each block replaces 8 bricks, laying is done faster. The dimensions allow you to carry out masonry with a width of 40 or 60 cm without pinning.In the first case, you can save the construction budget. The second option is more often used for deep belts, in which the walls of the underground floor experience serious lateral loads.

Attention! There are bricks measuring 6.5 x 8.5 x 25 cm (0.7 NF), made in Europe, single modules (1.3 NF) 6.5 x 13.8 x 28.8 cm, "three-quarters" 18 cm , "Halves" 12 cm, "quarters" 6 cm.

For underground structures

The main criteria when deciding which brick is better to use for underground masonry are:

• strength - standardized only for grades M100 - M300 (2.2 - 4.4 MPa, respectively);
• water absorption - 6 - 14%;
• roughness - relevant in the manufacture of external waterproofing masonry.

Ordinary stone is cheaper than facing; to reduce the construction budget, it is better to choose this option. The size of the red brick affects solely the pace of foundation masonry. Therefore, the format is not important.

When choosing a concrete block, the construction time of the foundation is reduced due to the large dimensions in comparison with even a double stone. The disadvantages of brick foundation technology are:

• the spatial rigidity of the prefabricated structure is by default lower than that of the monolith;
• when waterproofing the outer edges of the tape, pillars, it is very difficult to ensure the tightness of numerous mortar joints.

Therefore, prefabricated columnar, strip foundations are often shallow or shallow. This is possible only on rocky, sandy or gravelly soils.

For plinth

With normal horizontal waterproofing of the foundation with 2 - 3 layers of roll material, the supporting part of the basement can be laid out of porous bricks. Any materials are allowed in the facing layer, for example: silicate, hyper-pressed brick, crevice, hollow ceramics.

When deciding which brick is better to use, it is necessary to take into account:

• the basement is an independent supporting structure;
• distributes uneven loads from solid walls.

Therefore, it is still better to use solid concrete wall blocks or solid ceramic stone. Commonly used standard sizes NF or one and a half, double brick to increase the performance of the masonry.

Protect concrete blocks, brickwork it is much easier from getting wet in the basement. It is enough to coat the surface bituminous mastic, decorate the basement with siding.

What to look for when buying

When choosing a brick for the foundation, you must pay attention to the accompanying documentation. The grade of the stone must be higher than M150, frost resistance from F25, geometrical dimensions correspond to GOST.

During transportation, unloading and storage, edges often break off, which is not a significant defect. In most cases, plaster waterproofing is used for brick foundations. Irregularities will only increase the adhesion of the protective layer.

When a brick is tapped on a ceramic metal object, there should be a distinct sonorous sound, and not a stifled dull sound. The ringing indicates the quality of the raw materials used, the correctness of the firing technology, the absence of microcracks and voids.

Styling nuances

To increase the reliability of a brick foundation, several conditions must be met:

• whole brick - the masonry must be carefully tied up with the displacement of the vertical seams in the adjacent rows, therefore, it is necessary to select a whole brick, transport it carefully, store it in a building spot, move it at the facility;
• reinforcement - in each 4th row, the dressing of spoons / poke is required, the use of a masonry wire mesh with a cell of 2 x 2 - 5 x 5 cm;
• wetting - it is recommended to lower the brick into a bucket of water at the time of laying on the bed from the solution;
• additives to the solution - the penetrating mixture will ensure the moisture resistance of the seams;
• footing - as opposed to monolithic structures, brickwork is sensitive to unevenness of the base, the underlying layer of nonmetallic materials, it is recommended to pour 5 cm of the screed twice as wide more size strip or columnar foundation.

Advice! The brick breaks easily in any direction, so you don't need to buy ¾, halves, ¼, which are more expensive. It is wiser to use an ordinary, and not a face stone, which is not visible underground.

Thus, a brick foundation cannot compete with monolithic reinforced concrete structures in terms of service life and spatial rigidity. However, this option will save budget and construction time. He does not need to gain strength for 28 days, the walls can be erected in a week.