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A classic building material used for several millennia, or modern masonry blocks obtained with the use of advanced technologies? This is how a detailed comparison of wood and gas blocks can be announced. Our article highlights the main advantages and disadvantages of each of the materials. We compared gas blocks and wood on the most important criteria for construction. We hope that the proposed information will help you with the choice of the best option for yourself.

Pros and cons of wood and gas blocks

Before making a comparison, we note that after a prolonged pause, wood is again gaining popularity as a building material. This is due to the emergence of new processing technologies, beams and logs have become more affordable in material terms and more effective in terms of physical and technical characteristics. The undoubted advantages of wood in the construction of houses, cottages and other buildings are environmental friendliness (wood is 100% natural material), durability, low thermal conductivity, sound insulation and good seismic resistance.

However, there are significant disadvantages of timber. We are talking about fire hazard and the formation of cracks as a result of drying. In addition, with poor-quality processing, wood becomes susceptible to mold and rot. Compared to wood, aerated concrete is lighter and easier to process. The materials are approximately equal in terms of strength, thermal insulation properties and noise absorption. Gas blocks are not as environmentally friendly as logs or beams, but they meet the established sanitary and hygienic standards.

The only indicator by which wood is really superior to autoclaved aerated concrete is water absorption. However, a good finish easily smooths out this minor disadvantage. Next, let's list other properties that play an important role for builders and users and allow us to compare aerated concrete and wood:

• Appearance. Both materials allow you to build aesthetically pleasing houses, cottages and other objects.
• Shrinkage. After the construction of an object made of logs or beams, the shrinkage rate is about 4%, from gas blocks - no more than 0.5%.

Costs. The cost of wood is an order of magnitude higher than the price of aerated concrete. It is partially smoothed by lower costs for finishing.

Thus, by most indicators, aerated blocks are a more favorable choice for construction than wood. However, timber and logs have a number of advantages, depending on the features of the object being built. In any case, choosing one or another material, you should pay attention to quality.

Technologies of wood processing and production of gas blocks, as well as the practical implementation of these technologies, are key factors affecting the properties of the final product. You can buy a cheap low quality timber but end up losing out on fixing problems with shrinkage, cracks and mold. In addition, the quality of aerated concrete and timber largely determines the cost of finishing.