Wall Materials: Difference between revisions

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There are many alternatives to bricks & cement for walls. Each one has its own set of properties.
There are many alternatives to bricks & cement for walls. Each one has its own set of properties.


 
==More popular wall types==
===Concrete Blocks===
===Concrete Blocks===
* Dense blocks
* Dense blocks
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* Decorative blocks  
* Decorative blocks  
* [[Making Concrete Blocks]]
* [[Making Concrete Blocks]]


===Reconstituted Stone Blocks===
===Reconstituted Stone Blocks===
* Stone dust, cement & pigment.
* Stone dust, cement & pigment.


===[[Partition Wall|Stud walls]]===
===[[Partition Wall|Stud walls]]===
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** Fibreboard & [[Sheet Materials|hardboard]] occasionally found, but not recommended
** Fibreboard & [[Sheet Materials|hardboard]] occasionally found, but not recommended


===Lime===
* [[Mortar Mixes|Lime & sand mortar]] with various building blocks
* standard mortar on historic buildings
* Sometimes used on new builds
* white appearance
* lower embodied energy than cement
* disposed of lime mortar becomes a normal part of the soil (chalk), thus eliminating the waste issue of cement mortars
* lower compressive strength makes it unsuitable for high rise buildings
* Non-hydraulic lime is very slow setting, and can be stored unset indefinitely if air is excluded
* Hydraulic lime is quick to set
===Gabions===
* Steel mesh cage
* Filled with stone
* Useful for retaining walls
* Widely used to retain river banks
===Stone===
* Types of stone wall:
** Sawn (smooth faced blocks)
** Hammer dressed (rough faced blocks)
** Rubble walls (meaning random sized uncut stone rather than the modern usage of the word)
** Dry stone walling (no mortar used)
===Poured concrete===
* Poured into wooden forms in situ
===Glass brick===
* Transmits light
* Poor [[Insulation]]
* [[Mortar Mixes|White cement mortar]] usually used for joints
===Strawboard===
* A one piece sandwich of plaster, card, straw, card, plaster
* Low cost
* Good sound insulation
* Very poor strength, which can make fixing things to the wall problematic
* Poor strength makes it possible to fall through one of these walls
* Used between bedrooms in some cut price modern builds
* Brand name [http://www.stramit-int.com/ Stramit]
==Less popular wall types==
===Dry Block Walls===
===Dry Block Walls===
* [[Making Concrete Blocks|Concrete blocks]] are stacked with no [[Mortar Mixes|mortar]]
* [[Making Concrete Blocks|Concrete blocks]] are stacked with no [[Mortar Mixes|mortar]]
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* Clay suboil, sand, straw or dung etc
* Clay suboil, sand, straw or dung etc
* Blocks
* Blocks


===Cob===
===Cob===
* Subsoil, sand, straw, lime
* Subsoil, sand, straw, lime
* Continuous construction, no blocks involved.
* Continuous construction, no blocks involved.


===Cast Earth===
===Cast Earth===
* Subsoil & gypsum
* Subsoil & gypsum
* [http://www.castearth.com/ More info]
* [http://www.castearth.com/ More info]
===Lime===
* [[Mortar Mixes|Lime & sand mortar]] with various building blocks


===Sprayed Concrete===
===Sprayed Concrete===
* Concrete is sprayed onto a form
* Concrete is sprayed onto a form
* When the equipment is available this is a very fast construction method, typically used for emergency housing after natural disasters.
* When the equipment is available this is a very fast construction method, typically used for emergency housing after natural disasters.
* Curvy artistic shapes are readily achieved with sprayed concrete


===[[Papercrete]]===
===[[Papercrete]]===
* Mixture of paper, cement, sand, subsoil, and assorted optional additives
* Mixture of paper, cement, sand, subsoil, plus assorted optional additives
* [[Papercrete]] blocks stacked with papercrete mortar and papercrete render
* [[Papercrete]] blocks stacked with papercrete mortar and papercrete render
* Lath rendered with papercrete is another way to build papercrete walls
* Lath rendered with papercrete is another way to build papercrete walls
* Many mix variations, some giving high insulation, high strength, or waterproofness.
* Many mix variations, some giving high [[insulation]], high strength, or waterproofness.
* A wide range of waste materials can be incorporated into [[Papercrete|papercrete]].
* A wide range of waste materials can be incorporated into [[Papercrete|papercrete]].


===Earthcrete===
===Earthcrete===
* Subsoil & cement
* Subsoil & cement
* Good for paths
* Good for paths


===Superadobe===
===Superadobe===
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* Barbed wire included in wall joints for earthquake resistance.
* Barbed wire included in wall joints for earthquake resistance.
* http://www.calearth.org/
* http://www.calearth.org/


===Rammed Earth===
===Rammed Earth===
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* A stabiliser is also needed in our wet climate, such as cement, lime or animal blood.
* A stabiliser is also needed in our wet climate, such as cement, lime or animal blood.
* Continous build, no blocks
* Continous build, no blocks


===Roman concrete===
===Roman concrete===
* Lime, pozzolan, sand & stone.
* Lime, pozzolan, sand & stone.


===Sod===
===Sod===
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* The plant fibres stabilise & reinforce the soil
* The plant fibres stabilise & reinforce the soil
* Rendered, often with mud plaster.
* Rendered, often with mud plaster.
* A zero material cost walling option
* A low material cost walling option if enough grassed ground is available
* Earth constructions require large roof overhang to keep them sufficiently dry
* Earth constructions require large roof overhang to keep them sufficiently dry


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* Very low cost
* Very low cost
* Very fast construction method
* Very fast construction method
* High thermal insulation
* High thermal [[insulation]]
* Excellent sound absorption.
* Excellent sound absorption.
* Leaks must be repaired immediately to avoid [[Wood Rot|rot]]
* Leaks must be repaired immediately to avoid [[Wood Rot|rot]]
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* Makes very thick walls
* Makes very thick walls
* Render & plaster cover prevents combustion
* Render & plaster cover prevents combustion


===Rice hull bag walls===
===Rice hull bag walls===
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* Space filled with polypropylene bags of rice husks
* Space filled with polypropylene bags of rice husks
* Barbed wire included in courses
* Barbed wire included in courses
* Good [[Insulation]]
* Good [[insulation]]
* Quick construction
* Quick construction


===Mudbrick===
===Mudbrick===
* Unfired clay bricks
* Unfired clay bricks
* Short life expectancy, around 30 years
* Short life expectancy, around 30 years
===Gabions===
* Steel mesh cage
* Filled with stone
* Useful for retaining walls
===Stone===
* Types of stone wall:
** Sawn (smooth faced blocks)
** Hammer dressed (rough faced blocks)
** Rubble walls (meaning random sized uncut stone rather than the modern usage of the word)
** Dry stone walling (no mortar used)
===Poured concrete===
* Poured into wooden forms in situ


===Earthship===
===Earthship===
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* Bulky
* Bulky
* Flammable
* Flammable


===Drinks can walls===
===Drinks can walls===
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* Drink cans are stacked with wet [[Mortar Mixes|concrete]] between them, forming a [[Mortar Mixes|concrete]] lattice wall
* Drink cans are stacked with wet [[Mortar Mixes|concrete]] between them, forming a [[Mortar Mixes|concrete]] lattice wall
* Wall is plastered, the plaster attaches to the ring pulls
* Wall is plastered, the plaster attaches to the ring pulls
===Glass brick===
* Transmits light
* Poor [[Insulation]]
* [[Mortar Mixes|White cement mortar]] usually used for joints


===Hollow Ceramic Blocks===
===Hollow Ceramic Blocks===
* Lightweight lattice-like fired clay blocks are stacked
* Lightweight lattice-like fired clay blocks are stacked
* Wall then rendered
* Wall then rendered


===Ceramic Pots===
===Ceramic Pots===
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* Wall then rendered
* Wall then rendered
* Popular in Spain
* Popular in Spain


===Half Timbered===
===Half Timbered===
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* Mud plaster infill
* Mud plaster infill
* Historic construction method for external walls
* Historic construction method for external walls


===Wattle & Daub===
===Wattle & Daub===
* Timber stud framework
* Timber stud [[Partition Wall|framework]]
* Woven twig fencing panels (wattle)
* Woven twig fencing panels (wattle)
* Plastered with mud plaster (daub)
* Plastered with mud plaster (daub)
* Historic construction method for internal & external walls
* Historic construction method for internal & external walls


===Strawboard===
* A one piece sandwich of plaster, card, straw, card, plaster
* Low cost
* Good sound insulation
* Very poor strength, which can make fixing things to the wall problematic
* Poor strength makes it possible to fall through one of these walls
* Used between bedrooms in some cut price modern builds
* Brand name [http://www.stramit-int.com/ Stramit]


==See Also==
==See Also==

Revision as of 15:57, 5 March 2008

There are many alternatives to bricks & cement for walls. Each one has its own set of properties.

Concrete Blocks

  • Dense blocks
  • Aerated blocks (breeze blocks)
  • Hollow blocks
  • Patterned blocks
  • Decorative blocks
  • Making Concrete Blocks

Reconstituted Stone Blocks

  • Stone dust, cement & pigment.

Stud walls

Lime

  • Lime & sand mortar with various building blocks
  • standard mortar on historic buildings
  • Sometimes used on new builds
  • white appearance
  • lower embodied energy than cement
  • disposed of lime mortar becomes a normal part of the soil (chalk), thus eliminating the waste issue of cement mortars
  • lower compressive strength makes it unsuitable for high rise buildings
  • Non-hydraulic lime is very slow setting, and can be stored unset indefinitely if air is excluded
  • Hydraulic lime is quick to set

Gabions

  • Steel mesh cage
  • Filled with stone
  • Useful for retaining walls
  • Widely used to retain river banks

Stone

  • Types of stone wall:
    • Sawn (smooth faced blocks)
    • Hammer dressed (rough faced blocks)
    • Rubble walls (meaning random sized uncut stone rather than the modern usage of the word)
    • Dry stone walling (no mortar used)

Poured concrete

  • Poured into wooden forms in situ

Glass brick

Strawboard

  • A one piece sandwich of plaster, card, straw, card, plaster
  • Low cost
  • Good sound insulation
  • Very poor strength, which can make fixing things to the wall problematic
  • Poor strength makes it possible to fall through one of these walls
  • Used between bedrooms in some cut price modern builds
  • Brand name Stramit


Dry Block Walls

  • Concrete blocks are stacked with no mortar
  • Wall is then covered with glass fibre reinforced render
  • The render is a structural element
  • Quicker & weaker than a mortar laid block wall

Adobe

  • Clay suboil, sand, straw or dung etc
  • Blocks

Cob

  • Subsoil, sand, straw, lime
  • Continuous construction, no blocks involved.

Cast Earth

Sprayed Concrete

  • Concrete is sprayed onto a form
  • When the equipment is available this is a very fast construction method, typically used for emergency housing after natural disasters.
  • Curvy artistic shapes are readily achieved with sprayed concrete

Papercrete

  • Mixture of paper, cement, sand, subsoil, plus assorted optional additives
  • Papercrete blocks stacked with papercrete mortar and papercrete render
  • Lath rendered with papercrete is another way to build papercrete walls
  • Many mix variations, some giving high insulation, high strength, or waterproofness.
  • A wide range of waste materials can be incorporated into papercrete.

Earthcrete

  • Subsoil & cement
  • Good for paths

Superadobe

  • Bags filled with stabilised earth used as building blocks
  • Barbed wire included in wall joints for earthquake resistance.
  • http://www.calearth.org/

Rammed Earth

  • Aka pise de terre
  • Earth, sand, gravel, clay
  • A stabiliser is also needed in our wet climate, such as cement, lime or animal blood.
  • Continous build, no blocks

Roman concrete

  • Lime, pozzolan, sand & stone.

Sod

  • Turf strips are stacked.
  • Contains topsoil, grass and roots.
  • The plant fibres stabilise & reinforce the soil
  • Rendered, often with mud plaster.
  • A low material cost walling option if enough grassed ground is available
  • Earth constructions require large roof overhang to keep them sufficiently dry

Straw Bale

  • Bales are stacked & the wall plastered
  • Bales may be load bearing, or a separate wood frame can be used with bale infill.
  • Very low cost
  • Very fast construction method
  • High thermal insulation
  • Excellent sound absorption.
  • Leaks must be repaired immediately to avoid rot
  • Can be built by children
  • Makes very thick walls
  • Render & plaster cover prevents combustion

Rice hull bag walls

  • Steel mesh forms each side of the wall
  • Space filled with polypropylene bags of rice husks
  • Barbed wire included in courses
  • Good insulation
  • Quick construction

Mudbrick

  • Unfired clay bricks
  • Short life expectancy, around 30 years

Earthship

  • Stacked tyres filled with rammed earth
  • No material cost
  • Rather ugly in most people's view
  • Bulky
  • Flammable

Drinks can walls

  • Interior non loadbearing wall
  • Drink cans are stacked with wet concrete between them, forming a concrete lattice wall
  • Wall is plastered, the plaster attaches to the ring pulls

Hollow Ceramic Blocks

  • Lightweight lattice-like fired clay blocks are stacked
  • Wall then rendered

Ceramic Pots

  • Plant-pot like ceramic pots are stacked
  • Wall then rendered
  • Popular in Spain

Half Timbered

  • Vertical wood studs with close spacing
  • Mud plaster infill
  • Historic construction method for external walls

Wattle & Daub

  • Timber stud framework
  • Woven twig fencing panels (wattle)
  • Plastered with mud plaster (daub)
  • Historic construction method for internal & external walls


See Also

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