Selecting the appropriate building material for a home is an important choice that affects everything from long-term comfort to construction costs. Aerated concrete and wood are two common choices, each with pros and cons of their own. Making an informed decision that fits your needs and preferences can be aided by being aware of these.
Classic building materials like timber are prized for their warmth and unspoiled beauty. It can make your home feel warm and inviting and provides good insulation. However, in order to avoid problems like rot and pest infestation, wood needs routine upkeep. Additionally, it doesn’t resist fire as well as some other materials, which could be problematic in some situations.
Conversely, aerated concrete is a cutting-edge substitute that offers superior durability and thermal insulation. Because of its lightweight and ease of use, building projects can move more quickly. When compared to timber, aerated concrete is also more fire and pest resistant. However, it could be more expensive initially and not have the same aesthetic appeal as natural wood.
The decision between aerated concrete and wood will ultimately come down to your personal preferences, needs, and financial situation. You can choose a material for your new home that best suits your vision by weighing the advantages and disadvantages of each one.
- Characteristics of timber
- Pros and cons of aerated concrete
- Advantages and disadvantages of houses made of timber and aerated concrete
- Comparative analysis
- Shrinkage
- Aesthetics
- Environmental friendliness
- Fire hazard
- Moisture resistance
- Ease of use
- Heat retention
- Savings
- Video on the topic
- Comparison of 3 types of timber: glued, profiled and ordinary. Advantages and disadvantages.
- Aerated concrete or glued timber: what to choose for building a house? Construction company Exima
Characteristics of timber
Wood’s physical and functional qualities, naturalness, and friendliness to the environment make it popular. Aerated concrete and wood are nearly equal in price, so consideration should be given to their features when making a decision. One method of obtaining timber is by profiling (and/or gluing). Because it is crafted from a tree trunk that has been hewn in a specific way on all sides, it exhibits all the beneficial qualities of wood.
If the material satisfies the required standards, the timber profile can be varied, greatly simplifying the construction and installation process while ensuring the building’s strength and dependability. The ideal geometry and humidity level are the most crucial factors. Nevertheless, because the structure contracts, it is advised to begin finishing work at least half a year after construction is completed.
The timber is the least expensive type of wood and can be produced to the specifications specified by the client. The thickness of the wood used in construction determines the finished building’s strength and thermal insulation. The material can be used for construction in seismically active areas and is perfectly amenable to technological processing.
Since wood has a unique structure and is naturally ventilated, the humidity level in timber buildings is always at its ideal level. This influences the interior microclimate and fosters excellent health and well-being.
High pressure is applied during the glue process to create thin plates that are then laminated. This kind of material is less erratic, safe for the environment, has a long service life, good thermal insulation qualities, is non-flammable, resistant to fungi and mold, and doesn’t shrink or crack.
The material’s appearance is also significant; homes made of it have stunning, visually pleasant exteriors, and little to no finishing work is required. Adhered laminated wood has a considerably higher price tag compared to traditional profiled wood, roughly double.
When deciding whether to use aerated concrete or ordinary timber, it’s important to take into account a few details. While glued timber is more expensive than ordinary timber and roughly equal to aerated concrete, ordinary timber is less expensive than aerated concrete but has inferior performance properties.
It’s important to consider aspects like cost, durability, and insulation when choosing between aerated concrete and wood for a house. Although it provides good insulation and a warm, natural appearance, timber may require more maintenance over time. Conversely, aerated concrete is renowned for its durability, resistance to fire, and ease of maintenance. Since every material has pros and cons of its own, the best option will rely on your needs, your financial situation, and the climate where you live.
Pros and cons of aerated concrete
These days, a lot of research has been done on the characteristics and features of aerated concrete blocks. Aerated block construction makes it possible to build a house swiftly and simply, which drastically cuts down on labor expenses and construction time. The material’s porous structure is the result of adding particular additives to the concrete mixture. A 500 mm hollow block is a good choice for construction.
The primary benefits of gas blocks are:
- The ability to quickly obtain a block of the desired size – porous blocks can be easily sawed with a hacksaw
- High sound and heat insulation properties, which makes it possible to save on insulation (but you still have to do it)
- Good frost resistance
- Minimum weight – working with aerated concrete does not require the use of special equipment and a large number of workers
- Resistance to open fire due to the use of mineral substances in production
- Environmentally friendly and safe
- Excellent air exchange in the finished building, which helps to create an optimal microclimate in the house
- Quick and easy masonry, saving on time and materials (whether it is 300 mm thick aerated concrete or 500 mm blocks)
- Perfectly flat surface, creating walls that do not need to be additionally leveled later – saving on finishing work and materials
The sole drawback of aerated concrete is its hygroscopicity, or strong absorption of moisture, which compromises the long-term durability and strength of the structure. Freezing is not permitted because aerated concrete experiences few cycles of freezing and thawing. Using specialized moisture-resistant insulating materials during the building and finishing phases can solve the issue.
Advantages and disadvantages of houses made of timber and aerated concrete
A house composed of both materials will have different qualities depending on whether aerated concrete or wood was selected. A lot depends on the construction details, the quality of the materials, the proper selection of parameters and material geometry, and the effectiveness of the finishing on the inside and outside. Consequently, completed buildings cannot be compared; only individual properties can.
Wood is better than other building materials in terms of safety, vapor permeability, and environmental friendliness because it is a completely natural substance. We are discussing the thickness of the masonry and additional insulating layers if we ascertain which type of house is warmer—one made of wood or one made of aerated concrete. Heat retention is better in a plain wooden house without ornamentation or, for instance, warm ceramics (440 mm) than in aerated concrete without thermal insulation.
Aerated concrete is the preferred material for construction because it allows for faster and easier building construction. Wood requires more expertise, equipment, and time to assemble a house. Large, even blocks make this possible. However, aerated concrete requires proper finishing both inside and outside after construction is finished, while wood does not.
It is imperative to take into account whether the selection of timber and aerated concrete is for the construction of a year-round or permanent home. This is a crucial question, and each characteristic and parameter of the material must be taken into account independently.
Comparative analysis
When choosing between aerated concrete and wood for building construction, you must carefully consider all the factors, metrics, and characteristics. Next, ascertain your needs for the future building and its operational features. You can select the best option by contrasting the items on the first and second lists.
Shrinkage
The parameter is dependent on the properties and attributes of a specific material and can change based on production and storage conditions. About 0.3–3 mm/m of shrinkage is seen in aerated concrete, and this essentially has no impact on the structure.
Wood experiences some shrinkage around the edges, but not as much as with glued timber, which shrinks only by 1.5 mm/m. A rounded log with a natural moisture content of 220 mm shows the maximum amount of shrinkage. Aerated concrete homes can be completed right away, while wooden homes require six to eighteen months to complete.
Aesthetics
When comparing unfinished aerated concrete with wood, it is obvious that wood is more visually pleasing. Also, finishing is frequently possible at all. Natural beauty and wood grain can elevate an interior space. Because aerated concrete is highly hygroscopic, it needs to be finished for protection. This requires choosing natural stone, siding, textured plaster, facing brick, or painting, all of which come with extra costs.
Environmental friendliness
When debating the merits of aerated concrete versus timber-framed homes, keep the building’s safety in mind. The clear winner in this category is wooden lumber, which is a healthy natural material that is completely safe (though glue is used to produce glued lumber). Because aerated concrete is composed of natural materials along with a variety of additives and aluminum powder, it is also safe.
It’s important to consider the composition of aerated or foam concrete, specifically the material that forms the foam during the manufacturing process. Chemicals have to be totally safe for people to use. In a wooden building, background radiation is negligible, and in aerated concrete, it is within normal limits (the indicator is lower than that of brick).
Fire hazard
In this case, wood—which burns well and needs to be treated with protective compounds to increase its fire resistance—is superior to aerated concrete. Blocks made of aerated concrete are frequently used to create fire barriers because they do not release toxins when exposed to high temperatures and fall under class A1 of the resistance standard.
Moisture resistance
At first, wood is frightened of moisture; it swells in response to it and becomes prone to the growth of mold and fungi. However, the issue is partially resolved by contemporary processing techniques and deep-action antifungal impregnations. Because aerated concrete is moisture-averse, it needs to be covered with a waterproof coating. Because both materials are hygroscopic, they should only be utilized in building construction under the strictest of safety precautions.
Ease of use
Modern construction uses both timber and aerated concrete, so technologies have been developed to work with both materials, and all the tools needed are available. Since the blocks made of aerated concrete are large and light in weight, building walls with them can be completed swiftly and easily (by contrast, building a wall with hollow bricks can take twice as long). Although wood is more challenging to work with, you can quickly build even walls with profiled timber.
There are no subtleties involved in operating the building once construction is complete; as long as all finishing touches are applied and construction codes are followed, no specialized training or expertise is needed to operate the home.
Heat retention
Due to its poor heat conductivity, wood makes for a warm and comfortable home. For example, a building composed of glued laminated timber will have a higher winter temperature and a lower summer temperature than one made of D500 aerated concrete. Even so, wood still performs better than blocks with a higher density, such as D600 300mm arbolite. A 500 mm layer of insulation applied to wooden beams will shield the wooden house from all directions. Aerated concrete exhibits exceptional heat retention; however, it necessitates an extra layer of thermal insulation.
Savings
In terms of cost, glued laminated timber and foam blocks are nearly equal when compared to wood or aerated concrete as building materials. However, the amount consumed during construction and the requirement for finishing work have a big impact on the total cost.
The wood may not be treated inside, but due to shrinkage of the house, it may become cracked in the future, requiring finishing or repairs. A house made of timber requires a solid foundation, while lightweight and cheap foundations can be built for aerated concrete; 220 mm hollow-core concrete floors can be installed between floors. First, the MZLF is calculated for both materials, and then it is calculated in which cases it will be possible to save money, and in which cases the costs will increase.
However, even with aerated concrete, it is still recommended to build a monolithic reinforced concrete floor, which raises the cost of the home. Building a roof structure for an aerated concrete home will be more expensive than building a roof for a house that is similar. While using timber for construction will save you a lot of money on different building solutions and mixtures, it will necessitate the use of impregnations, or antifungal agents.
| Aspect | Timber | Aerated Concrete |
| Insulation | Good natural insulation, keeps warmth in winter and cool in summer. | Excellent insulation properties, better than many other materials. |
| Durability | Can be prone to pests and rot if not properly maintained. | Highly durable and resistant to pests, fire, and weather. |
| Cost | Usually less expensive, but prices can vary based on quality and region. | Generally more expensive, but can save on long-term maintenance costs. |
| Construction Time | Quicker to build with, especially if using pre-cut timber. | Can take longer due to curing time and handling of large blocks. |
| Environmental Impact | Renewable resource if sourced sustainably; however, deforestation concerns. | Manufacturing has a higher carbon footprint, but materials are often recyclable. |
When building a house, the decision between timber and aerated concrete really depends on your priorities and the particular requirements of the project. For individuals who appreciate aesthetics and a traditional feel, timber is a great option because it provides natural beauty, good insulation, and ease of construction. It does, however, need more upkeep and might not hold up as well in some climates.
Conversely, aerated concrete offers superior durability and thermal insulation. Because of its pest and fire resistance, there may be fewer maintenance concerns down the road. It’s also frequently easier to work with and quicker, which could shorten the time it takes to complete your construction. But it doesn’t have the same warmth and charm as wood, so extra finishing may be needed to make it look the way you want.
In the end, the best decision will rely on what matters most to you in your house. Wood may be your best option if you like the traditional feel and appearance of the material and don’t mind the additional maintenance. Aerated concrete might be the best option if you’re searching for modern efficiency, longevity, and minimal maintenance. Every material has advantages and disadvantages, so carefully weigh your needs and priorities to choose the best option for your house.
