Solid brick: types, sizes and applications

Brick is rightfully recognized as one of the most common and unpretentious building materials. He has many positive qualities for which he is chosen by consumers.

Solid brick is an environmentally friendly building material made of clay (clay). There are no voids in its structure. Very often, solid bricks are used for the construction of both internal and external walls. This material is considered versatile. He is not afraid of negative external factors, for example, fire, water and low temperatures.

Before you go shopping for a full-bodied product, you should familiarize yourself with its main characteristics.

• Such a material is characterized by the fact that it has a solid body (hence, good strength).
• Usually, the mass of solid brick reaches 3-4 kg.
• As for the volumetric weight, it can be 1500-1900 kg / m3.
• The number of voids in this building material does not exceed 13%, which ensures its high thermal conductivity.
• In the composition of clay, there is such a component as iron, which is responsible for giving a characteristic red color to a solid brick.
• Brick is a refractory material. It does not burn and does not support a flame.
• The level of frost resistance of solid bricks varies. Some types of building materials are suitable only for indoor use (F25), while others are usually used for outdoor masonry (F50). The maximum density bricks marked F150 are completely frost-resistant.
• The level of water absorption of solid bricks reaches about 13-15%. This characteristic of the building material is very important, since it has a direct impact on the frost resistance of products. The level of water absorption depends on the density of the brick.
• High-quality solid brick serves for a long time and does not lose its presentation over the years.
• The characteristic quality of solid bricks is their excellent load-bearing capacity.
• The higher the density of solid bricks, the higher sound and heat insulation characteristics it has. For example, hollow-core products cannot boast of such qualities - they let out street noise and make the home colder.

Solid brick is a very popular building material that is used in a wide variety of jobs. Its popularity is due to its many benefits.

• Today on sale you can find a full-bodied product of various sizes. Thanks to this fact, consumers have the opportunity to produce structures of various shapes.
• Well-chosen products have an attractive appearance. They may vary in color and texture. For example, textured cladding with an imitation of a marble surface looks very interesting and effective on different buildings.With the help of these materials, it will be possible to give the construction a special style and high cost.
• Such materials boast high strength: they are not so easy to damage or break. In addition, it is permissible to build both internal and external walls from solid bricks - both of these structures are reliable and strong.
• Solid bricks have a specific heat capacity. Buildings, in which the walls are made of these building materials, remain quite warm and cozy in winter, while in summer they have a slight coolness.
• Full-bodied products are easier to lay. To carry out such work, there is no need for special knowledge, skills and rich experience. Even a beginner can cope with laying full-bodied parts if he follows the instructions.
• Another important advantage of solid bricks is its environmental friendliness: this material is safe for both people and the environment. It contains no hazardous and harmful substances that can harm health.
• The high sound insulation of solid bricks should also be noted. Houses built with these materials remain quiet - the excess noise from the street is almost invisible in them.
• Such products are presented in the widest range. Buyers have the opportunity to purchase varieties of bricks for any construction work, from simple to very complex.
• These products also boast durability - they serve for quite a long time without losing their attractive appearance. Brick houses remain aesthetic for many years if they are made correctly and from high-quality raw materials.
• Due to its structure, solid brick is quite strong in compression and bending.
• Since there are practically no pores in such bricks, they absorb destructive moisture to a minimum.
• Solid products are resistant to low temperatures. This quality is especially important in Russia.

However, not everything is so rosy. Solid bricks also have a number of disadvantages that you need to be aware of before purchasing such materials.

• Walls made of solid bricks must be additionally insulated. For this, different materials are used. This stage of construction work cannot be neglected.
• Such building materials are heavy, so it is not so easy to work with them, and transportation of such products can cost a lot.
• Solid bricks are much more expensive than hollow bricks because they require more of the main component, clay, to make.
• If you choose a solid brick of the wrong brand, then it can begin to crumble.
• Such products are very easily damaged during transportation.
• Defects such as efflorescence often appear on solid ceramic bricks. Outwardly, they are whitish stains that spoil the appearance of the material and the structure as a whole.

As you can see, this building material has much more advantages than disadvantages. Much depends on the point of sale from which the brick was purchased. In stores with a not very good reputation, you can stumble upon low-quality products passed off as first-class. Many problems can arise with such materials in the future.

There are several varieties of solid bricks. Each of them has its own performance characteristics.

If you start from the raw materials from which such bricks are made, some types can be distinguished.

These types of solid bricks are the most common. They are made from clay, and sometimes from other types of raw materials. Ceramic products are characterized by a light and airy structure. They must be free of external cracks or other similar defects.

The second most popular are silicate solid bricks. Such options are made from a special mixture with lime and sand. Finished products are distinguished by excellent sound insulation qualities and low thermal conductivity. Silicate options are thinner and lighter than ceramic ones. However, such products also have a serious drawback - weak moisture resistance.

The hyper-pressed version is made from a combination of cement, limestone and a special dye. The resulting composition is pressed in a special mold. As a result, blanks are obtained in the form of bars of the ideal color and shape. In most cases, this material is used for facing work.

Based on the purposes of further use, several more varieties of solid bricks are distinguished.

These subspecies of building materials are used in almost all areas. For example, it can be the manufacture of a foundation or the construction of the walls of a structure. It is permissible to finish such brick bases with paint or plaster mixture. Standard building materials have a heterogeneous structure and color. Defective areas can often be seen on such products, but they do not have any effect on the quality of the bricks - they remain just as strong and reliable.

In most cases, this material is used for various finishing works. There are no defective surfaces in them, and the color is always uniform and accurate.

Usually fireclay type of solid brick is used in finishing both inside and outside buildings. Often fireclay bricks are faced with fireplaces or stoves. These building materials are characterized by high density, heavy weight and resistance to temperature shocks. Fireclay bricks are able to withstand the effects of high temperatures (up to 1,000 degrees).

The name of this building material comes from the manufacturing technology, which involves sintering several layers of clay to form a homogeneous mass. Thanks to this procedure no defects appear on the brick - this is how products of different colors and textures are made. Otherwise, clinker bricks are called paving bricks.

In search of an attractive corpulent product, you should pay attention to beautiful textured options. Such products are distinguished by the fact that they have embossed patterns on the front. The analogue of the textured version is the shaped model (otherwise it is called curly or profile).

Such bricks are a type of facing materials. For example, in the case of glazed products, the ceramic surface is supplemented with a special glaze based on a special glass powder. The result is a very beautiful and eye-catching finish. And engobe is a mixture based on white clay. After going through the firing process, such products are complemented by a neat matte layer.

This type of brick is distinguished by the fact that all its sides have perfectly flat and neat surfaces. In addition, such products are characterized by ideal geometry. This type of brick is most often used for finishing facade bases, arranging fences and simple decorative structures.

In such bricks, the front half is covered with a decorative finish that imitates different natural materials. For example, it can be a wood, marble or other stone surface.

By the method of production, solid bricks are also subdivided into subgroups.

These products are rightfully recognized as one of the most demanded. They differ in that they have no restrictions in their application.They are made by pressing raw materials under high pressure. After that, the workpieces are dried and fired.

Such varieties of solid bricks are made from standard raw materials - clay pressed in a special shape. After that, the workpieces are fired, but not dried. This building material is characterized by a porous structure, which is why it is not suitable for all works. Usually, such a brick is purchased for work inside buildings, since high humidity can be destructive for them.

Ceramic products are:

• burnt - such varieties undergo heat treatment in specialized ovens, after which they become more durable and strong;

• unbaked - these bricks undergo natural drying, but at the same time they do not have the highest qualities of strength, therefore they are used in rare cases.

Also, in different retail outlets, you can find solid bricks with different markings.

• M50 - this marking is affixed on materials intended for the manufacture of fences, partitions and other structures that are not designed for too heavy loads.
• M75, M100 Are bricks intended for the construction of load-bearing walls.
• M125 - such marking is affixed to solid bricks, which can be used to prepare load-bearing wall and arched structures.
• M150, M175 - such building materials are ideal for the construction of foundation structures and plinths.
• M200 - material with an increased strength level, can be used almost everywhere.
• M250 - raw materials with such marking are ideal for the manufacture of load-bearing structures. It can also be used in the manufacture of external or internal wall foundations, basements, foundations, fireplaces and stove structures.
• M300 - brick of this brand is used in the construction of foundations of low-rise buildings. These materials are designed for impressive loads and have high strength characteristics.

Modern products have different dimensions and weights. On sale there are:

• single bricks - this variety has dimensions of 250x120x65 mm;
• one and a half products - the dimensional parameters of these bricks are 250x120x88 mm .;
• double - the dimensions of these products reach 250x120x130 mm;
• Euro - the height of these bricks reaches 6.5 cm and the width is 8.5 cm;
• modular single - such building materials differ in 28.8 cm in length and 13.8 cm in width.

Models with dimensions of 250x120x65 mm are standard. The weight of such products reaches 4.3 kg. As for large-format wall building materials, their weight can be up to 24 kg. In this case, everything depends on the direct dimensions of the solid brick - its width, length and height.

Experts consider double ceramic specimens to be the most economical. Euro and modular options are used less often in construction work. It should also be borne in mind that one-and-a-half and double models are often made hollow. As for single bricks, their dimensions are designed so that it is convenient to take them with one hand, and at this time, lay the cement mortar prepared in advance with the other.

Today, solid bricks are produced using a special technology in several stages.

Before the immediate start of brick making, suitable raw materials are selected. The selected mass is properly prepared for further use.

Previously, raw materials such as clay will need to be slightly moistened using steam. It is necessary to achieve the most plastic consistency so that it can be formed.Also, all hard and stony inclusions are removed from the composition.

Then a raw brick is formed. This process is automatic in most circumstances. The strip with the raw material is cut using a special device into a variety of blanks. Their dimensions, as a rule, are slightly larger than those of finished products, since after going through all the production steps, the clay shrinks noticeably.

The next step is drying the prepared semi-finished product. It is extremely important here to follow the appropriate technology for the drying process. It is necessary to gradually and slowly solve this problem. It is important to keep in mind that excessive acceleration of this process often provokes cracking of bricks, and it is better not to use such a material in construction work - it will be unreliable.

This is followed by firing the workpiece. It is carried out in a specialized oven. The temperature regime of heating in such conditions usually reaches 950-1000 degrees. At this stage of manufacturing, it is very important to comply with all the requirements that are laid down in the technological process.

The semi-dry pressing method involves the following steps:

• first, the clay, as in the previous version, is moistened to the required level, after which the raw material is processed into powder;
• the resulting mixture is poured into special molds in order to later get raw bricks;
• Such a semi-finished product is sent straight to the kiln for firing almost immediately after the forming stage.

Solid silicate brick is made according to the technology described below.

• Raw materials prepared from sand, ground lime and water are mixed to a homogeneous mixture.
• The resulting mixture is kept until the lime in it is completely extinguished.
• In the next step, the composition is pressed into bricks under high pressure. After that, the resulting semi-finished product is sent to specialized equipment. This process usually takes about 8-14 hours.
• Over the next 10-15 days, the building materials are kept for proper carbonation.

As for the popular fireclay bricks, it is produced by firing crushed refractory clay that has been pre-fired. In this case, crushed defective ceramic products can act as raw materials.

Do not think that the color of solid bricks is limited to a red tint. It should be borne in mind that the color of these building materials directly depends on the composition of the main raw material - clay. In most cases, after firing, this material acquires a standard brick color (characteristic shade). Such raw materials are called red-burning - red brick is obtained from it.

Much less often you can find building materials made from white-burning clay. These raw materials produce attractive yellow, apricot and white bricks of high quality.

Quite often, in the manufacture of solid bricks, the raw material is diluted with various pigment additives. For example, brown products can only be obtained if we turn to the addition of pigment components.

Solid brick is used in a wide variety of applications. This building material has been very popular for quite some time. Currently, its production is at the highest level.

Solid brick is in demand not only because of the large number of positive characteristics, but also because of the wide field of use.You can safely turn to this building material when erecting almost any structures that need the strongest and most durable base that does not cause any problems. Such structures include:

• various foundation structures;
• basements of various sizes;
• base;
• columns of different sizes;
• facing and supporting wall structures;
• high-rise buildings of any modifications;
• steps;
• chimneys;
• furnace structures;
• fireplaces;
• elevator shafts.

When choosing a high quality solid brick, you need to focus on some important parameters.

It is imperative to request a quality certificate for the selected product. This document should indicate that solid brick fully complies with GOST. The brand of building material is also mentioned there. If the certificate was refused, then it is better to go to another store for bricks, otherwise you can buy low-quality products.

Experts do not recommend buying bricks with a grade lower than M75.

You need to carefully examine the bricks you pick up. They should not have any cracks, no chips, no scratches, no spots (any - both light and dark), or other defects. It is worth remembering - you cannot buy such building materials with flaws, since they will not last long.

Experts recommend, when choosing a brick, gently knock on its surface with a hammer or any iron part, and then pay attention to the sound being emitted. It should be voiced, not deaf.

You should not save on the purchase of this building material. Items with suspiciously tempting prices may be of low quality. Such goods are unlikely to make good structures.

You need to apply for the purchase of solid bricks at proven retail outlets that have a good reputation in the city of residence. It is better not to buy such things in questionable stores and shops - in terms of quality they may turn out to be completely different from what the seller claims.

It should be borne in mind that the sand-cement mortar for solid bricks must be mobile. For its manufacture, 4 parts of sand are taken for 1 part of cement.

Do not neglect the insulation of buildings from such a building material. With such additions, the building will turn out to be much warmer and more comfortable. If you refuse to install insulation, then you can notice a significant difference - in a house that is not insulated in this way, the coolness will always remain, and the rate of its freezing may increase.

If you plan to build a structure in a cold region, then it is better to purchase ceramic bricks with a high level of frost resistance. Silicate specimens can be used as decorative facing materials in combination with standard red elements.

You will learn even more about solid brick in the following video.