New House Projects Using Red-Brick For Exterior Walls

[FarangBuddha]

I have been looking at some new housing projects in Pattaya and notice that some are still using red-bricks for construction of the exterior walls. Would there be any practical or structural reason for doing this? It is my understanding that the aerated-cement blocks are much to be preferred (especially for exterior walls) for their thermal/insulation properties. Are the red-bricks stronger or more water resistant? These are higher-end houses as well so it wouldn't be because reds are cheaper and thus more profit for the builder now would it?

One developer told me the cost of red-brick vs. aerated block is about the same, because as the aerated blocks were more expensive materials, this was off-set by the reds being very labour intensive to build (them being small and the aerated much larger).

What's the story here? All things being equal, I would prefer a cooler house using aerated concrete blocks to hot ceramic bricks.

[Pib]

Here another TV topic that provides some good info. http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/356724-aerated-cement-superblock/

I know for houses I see being built here in western Bangkok, the great, great majority are still using the red bricks to create the walls between the concrete beam/pole supports. These orange bricks are very, very cheap when bought in quantity like when builders buy them. Even when I bought a few I only paid 50 stang per brick and I figure builders get them a lot cheaper than that. They are stronger than aerated block (and cheaper) and Thai builders just feel comfortable in using them. Plus, I don't think most Thai's are too concerned about insulting qualities of aerated block since most Thai's minimize the use of A/Cs and cool the house by having the windows and doors open.

[FarangBuddha]

Here another TV topic that provides some good info. http://www.thaivisa....ent-superblock/

I know for houses I see being built here in western Bangkok, the great, great majority are still using the red bricks to create the walls between the concrete beam/pole supports. These orange bricks are very, very cheap when bought in quantity like when builders buy them. Even when I bought a few I only paid 50 stang per brick and I figure builders get them a lot cheaper than that. They are stronger than aerated block (and cheaper) and Thai builders just feel comfortable in using them. Plus, I don't think most Thai's are too concerned about insulting qualities of aerated block since most Thai's minimize the use of A/Cs and cool the house by having the windows and doors open.

Thanks for the link. These are high-end homes targeted mostly to farangs (retired and working on the Eastern Seaboard) and upper-class Thais. All these groups I suspect would be interested in insulated block construction (cooler and energy savings [and greener too] for their homes.

[Pib]

And able/willing to pay the extra construction material cost to save A/C-electricity costs.

[xen]

Please correct me if I am wrong but from observation the thai red bricks are usually used as infill walls on pier and beam construction which means the walls are non- weight bearing because the piers/columns support the structure and concrete block using re-inforcing bars and concrete are used for slab construction and the walls are structural, weight bearing walls.

Slab construction is usually cheaper than pier and beam and so would off-set any added cost of the concrete blocks.

Incidently ,refering to Pib's comment about the Thais being not too concerned about insulting qualities of aerated block since most Thai's minimize the use of A/Cs and cool the house by having the windows and doors open ,I have seen on occaisions the airconditioner going full blast and the windows and doors are still open and the numerous complaints about the house being "lawn mak ".

[ignis]

Now a day in Thailand makes little seance to use the red brick.. Believe Thai that have never used them have no idea what they are or how to use them, there Fathers used red brick and so red brick continues to be used, I have noticed on many new projects they now use the thermal block + much faster to build with them + use glue.

One big problem I notice is most Thai builder have no idea how to plaster using these blocks, as soon as they put the plaster on the blocks the block take out all the moisture so I see many having great problems... really simple you soak the walls 1st with water

When I built my kitchen 7 years ago I used the thermal block, [have built with them in Europe so had no problems] at that time they were 32 baht each so worked out way way more then the red brick, if I can remember the red brick was something like 8 baht for 10.

[PattayaParent]

The red bricks are not as strong as concrete blocks and have no insulating value.

They're used because they're cheap and the Thai labourers are used to using them

[bbradsby]

Neither red clay brick nor CMU (concrete masonry units) have much thermal insulation value, but have great thermal mass. If kept in the shade via proper design, they can both help your air conditioning load. In direct sun, they soak in the heat, store it en mass, and radiate it into the interior for many hours into the night. Proper design is critical to project success, thermal comfort and ongoing energy expense.

As for structural capabilities, even the red brick & mortar infill wall add some stiffness to the concrete beam above in typical, Thai residential construction. We don't design structures to depend on it, but it's there.

The Q-Con CMU blocks are engineered products, with better quality control, and go up much faster so total installed cost should be similar to red brick. More Thai builders are using CMU lately in BKK, so there appears to be industry uptake of the "new" technology. And as another poster said, soaking the blocks before plaster minimizes telegraphing of the blocks' mortar joints.