#  >  > Living And Legal Affairs In Thailand >  >  > Construction in Thailand >  >  > Building in Thailand Famous Threads >  >  Bricks and Blocks, which to use

## dirtydog

Bricks or blocks, which to use?

Basically as these are only considered infill and not load bearing here in Thailand there is a lot of stuff you can use to build the walls in your house.

First up we have these red blocks, I have to admit I have never seen a house built with these, well that is untill we built one, these are a bit pourous and some of them do have holes all the way through them so can have problems with the rain, but damn they look good  :Smile: 

With these it is best to color the cement with red oxide and rough finish the joins, for some reason if you smooth finish the joins the color looks crap, plus these are more your olde worlde type blocks so the rough finish does look better.

Inside you need to render off and then it is best to use insulation and plaster board as these bricks do absorb the heat from the sun, on this one we just used the cheapy insulation plastic stuff with the reflective coating and plaster board with the reflective coating.

These 20 by 40 center meter blocks can be bought in Salaburi for 20 odd baht each, or in Pattaya for nearer 40 odd baht each.

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## dirtydog

As you can see houses look quite nice made out of these red bricks.

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## dirtydog

Q-Con Blocks are great, nice and square, 20 by 40centermeters, great insulation qualities and about 25baht each.

In the first picture you can see a block being cut down to size using an ordinary wood saw, on the wall you can see that the joins are tiny between the blocks, for joining these blocks you use crocodile cement, this is a premixed cement based product that comes in 20 kilo bags, due to the blocks all being the same size and shape it makes it a very quick and easy job to build a wall.




Putting the form work up for the concrete pour round the window frame, although now I believe they do lentals so you could just chuck one of them on top and have done with it.

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## dirtydog

Breeze blocks are the lowest of the low, if you are just building a shack for your dog or pets then these are the things to use, at 3.50baht each this is the cheapest way to go, these things are so weak you can break them in one hand, again about 20 by 40 center meters each they are perfect for garden walls and that is about it.

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## The_Dude

How do you run conduit in the Q-Con Block. Is it done with a router bit. And if so how long do the bits last.

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## dirtydog

We use an angle grinder and then chip it out, I think a router would do it but they are damn heavy and the bits quite expensive.

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## The_Dude

Does anyone know if this product or somthing similar is in the states- California/ sacramento area to be exact? I would like to do some test on this stuff. Damm I wish I checked this out while I was there last!!!! :Sad:  

The Dude.

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## dirtydog

q con website

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## Rigger

I am going to use these things to build a new bike work shop on a bit of spare land my wife has across the road it is going to be 4m x 9m with toilet shower and fridge and a bit of a sit down area out the side. 
Will be a basic build apart from the re-inforced beams for using a block and tackle. They tell me it can be done for about 30,000bht with a roller door fitted 
I dont know fok all about building so I am just having a BBQ a piss up and inviting a few mates over that are builders

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## dirtydog

Damn sure I wouldn't build it for that  :Smile:

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## Rigger

> Damn sure I wouldn't build it for that


So how much would you build it for and I want a tile roof as well.

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## dirtydog

15k baht for the roof, about 8k baht for the roller shutter, 10k baht for the block work minimum, beam work about 6k baht using preformed beams, floor at 10cm concrete about 14k baht.

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## egeefay

> Q-Con Blocks are great, nice and square, 20 by 40centermeters, great insulation qualities and about 25baht each.
> 
> In the first picture you can see a block being cut down to size using an ordinary wood saw, on the wall you can see that the joins are tiny between the blocks, for joining these blocks you use crocodile cement, this is a premixed cement based product that comes in 20 kilo bags, due to the blocks all being the same size and shape it makes it a very quick and easy job to build a wall.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Putting the form work up for the concrete pour round the window frame, although now I believe they do lentals so you could just chuck one of them on top and have done with it.


I was told by a builder that you wouldn't want to hand cabinets from a wall built with these blocks.  They are great for insulation on outside walls (they actually float in water)  But for load bearing and walls where things will hang the builder said they aren't a good choice.   I think it had something to do with how easily the crack if you try to nail or drill into them.  The builder said that any walls that are going to bear any weight ..like cabinets or mirrors...need to be made out of the little red bricks.

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## dirtydog

^ Your builder is an uneducted Thai i reckon  :Smile:

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## daveboy

> The builder said that any walls that are going to bear any weight ..like cabinets or mirrors...need to be made out of the little red bricks.


Thats bollox you just need to use the correct fixings

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## dirtydog

So onto the most common building material in Thailand, yep red bricks, at 65 satang per brick they are cheap, here in Pattaya and surrounding areas these are hollow and sun baked, going into rice growing areas they are solid and then baked using rice husks, yep not a very hot bake.

These are not load bearing, nor are they straight nor are they the same size as each other, they are a right pain to lay as they are so small and you use a pointing trowel to lay them, normally you would go like 5 to 8 high on each end then put a line up and follow that as close as possible, which here isn't very close.

For some reason on these pictures taken today in jomtien they have decided to use them in a decorative way, pretty ropey job and probably lucky if they got paid, they also never bothered coloring the cement for the laying of the bricks and didn't clean up each day, yet, they rendered off the walls with colored cement, weird.

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## jumbo

I guess that the guys using the Q-Con blocks work for one of your competitors DD. You would surely not allow your guys to cut and store blocks on an unprotected tiled floor?

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## dirtydog

^My staff, that was the beginning of the job before the floor was replaced with Parquet, it was originally a car port so the floor was pretty crap anyway.

Anyway here is a nice pillar done in the solid red bricks, this has been done quite well, these bricks are also very similar in size and shape which helps.

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## dirtydog

Here is a pillar that has been decorated with ordinary sun baked bricks, not too bad if your into that type of thing.



Here are the solid red bricks that have been baked in rice husks.



Here you can see unburnt rice husks embedded into this brick, gives you an idea of how badly they are baked.

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## Dougal

> Here is a pillar that has been decorated with ordinary sun baked bricks, not too bad if your into that type of thing.


The solid red bricks do look much better than the extruded ones with the two holes. Despite my specifiying to use only the solid bricks for a wall, the builder used part solid and part holey bricks before I hit him around the head with one. He genuinely could not see that there was any difference between them.

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## dirtydog

They have done a whole housing estate down Soi KhoPai in these bricks, I have to admit I have never used these but looking at them I would guess they are load bearing, they are of a uniform size and shape which is quite nice.








To lay the bricks they have used the bags of ready mixed Crocodile cement so there isn't any pointing off to do, they also come in red and grey, the red would look quite nice if they had cleaned up the blobs of runny cement before it had dried, bit hard to get used to seeing houses made of red bricks when the bricks have such a small space between each one though.







Here you can see they have used traditional Thai concrete beam work though.










You can see the cement stains on the bricks on the bottom center of the picture.

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## El Gibbon

Don't know if they are the same, but, saw a program about this style of brick developed for 'self use'. After the Tsunami of 04 they sent hundreds of the presses to Ache. Can be run by one person and can make over 100 a day I think. 

Due to them seating themselves, once the first course is layed its pretty easy to follow along. Neat concept for the do-it-yourself folks.

E. G.

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## dirtydog

Might aswell get back to Q Con Blocks as they are using them down the road from me,

Just some pictures of the block work and rebar and wall beams that have been poured.

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## Dougal

I found that the Q con blocks float. I'm not sure I would want to build a boat out of them though.

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## Panda

Those Q-CON blockd certainly look like the go for me. The thermal insulation qualities sold me on them.

I will probably use those Q-CON flooring planks for the second story floor also.  The only concern there is that they will need to span 4 meters. I know they come in lengths of up to 6 meters. The floor itself wont be load bearing except for furnature etc.. Can anyone tell me if they can span 4 meters?

Thanks.

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## fred2krabi

[quote=dirtydog;268861]Q-Con Blocks are great, nice and square, 20 by 40centermeters, great insulation qualities and about 25baht each.

In the first picture you can see a block being cut down to size using an ordinary wood saw, on the wall you can see that the joins are tiny between the blocks, for joining these blocks you use crocodile cement, this is a premixed cement based product that comes in 20 kilo bags, due to the blocks all being the same size and shape it makes it a very quick and easy job to build a wall.


Hello, i plan to build my house, one floor 160sqm2, the workers want to build the wall with only Q-con with thickness 7,5cm do you think is enough ? Strong and insulation enough ? 

Thanks a lot for your advice  :Smile:

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## 9999

> Damn sure I wouldn't build it for that


Maybe this guy would...

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## nigelandjan

> We use an angle grinder and then chip it out,


         Jesus wept!  with all that heat and sweat and dust they must come out like flour graders .

    I dont know if you can get the drill/ chisel attachments out there with the dust bags on , I did yards of this channeling in my old house , not too bad dust wise .

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## DrAndy

> the workers want to build the wall with only Q-con with thickness 7,5cm do you think is enough ? Strong and insulation enough ?


strong enough, sure

insulation unknown, but prob OK

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## benlovesnuk

Can you use this smartblock with a pasterboard, something like the thermalite gyproc board and thier metal rail system to add more insulation?

So the outside would be aac rendered, with a gap where the metail rails go of about 1-2" then the board which comprises insulation and then plaster board, then this would be rendered inside.

Thanks for the heads up.

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## kundepuu

I building CNC hot wire cutting machine myself and can now make any design bricks of  ICF to my own house.
U-values are much much better compared to Q-con bricks and building is very easy and fast too.  :mid:  :bananaman:

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## DrAndy

can you hang a picture on them?

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## kundepuu

Seems like that I cant link pictures until I have post 5 replies...
I download some pics to my album(Kunde) in Gallery

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## dirtydog

^These?

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## Marmite the Dog

They've started using these in the UK. The thermal properties are good, but they are tricky to use as the weight of the concrete in the cavities will often cause breeches and they need to be forced shut until the cement has gone off.

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## kundepuu

yes those pictures was right ones




> They've started using these in the UK. The thermal properties are good, but they are tricky to use as the weight of the concrete in the cavities will often cause breeches and they need to be forced shut until the cement has gone off.


that is no problem because I made big whole wall height elements and topcoat EPS by Polyurea. 3 m casting height with foam concrete is no problem.

Suitable also to make perimeter fence.

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## Marmite the Dog

> that is no problem


Well, it is. I've seen it used 3 times and each time they've had breaches.

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## farrang

> Originally Posted by egeefay
> 
> The builder said that any walls that are going to bear any weight ..like cabinets or mirrors...need to be made out of the little red bricks.
> 
> 
> Thats bollox you just need to use the correct fixings


Yeah and those little red bricks are not lego ones, now wounder the cabinets are falling off the walls.
And as Davey says use the correct fixings,  and by the way i have not seen rawl plugs in home pro or mart have any of you lot? :UK:

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## Marmite the Dog

> i have not seen rawl plugs in home pro or mart have any of you lot?


Yes, loads. They're normally packed with the relevant screw.

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## dirtydog

> and by the way i have not seen rawl plugs in home pro or mart have any of you lot?


I don't know of any general builders merchant that doesn't sell raw plugs nor expansion bolts, you might want to open your eyes, or, learn Thai and ask the staff there.

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## nigelandjan

> or, learn Thai and ask the staff there.


I'm sure if your in a tourist area Farrang the nice lady behind the counter in Home Pro will understand what you want when you ask her for a screw

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## DrAndy

^ he doesn't want a screw, he wants a plug

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## nigelandjan

^ best ask Buttercup then

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## benlovesnuk

Termites eat any polystyrene cellulose product because they believe its high in vitb,d, and calcium. I would have just bought a tent because those walls wont exist next year.
The only walls you should build from white devils sperm is a childs play house, every bead of polyfoam feeds a thousand families of insects a day. Youre a charitable man!

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## kundepuu

> Termites eat any polystyrene cellulose product because they believe its high in vitb,d, and calcium. I would have just bought a tent because those walls wont exist next year.
> The only walls you should build from white devils sperm is a childs play house, every bead of polyfoam feeds a thousand families of insects a day. Youre a charitable man!


Typical response from someone who does not know a thing.
Wonderful are the thai termites that can eat concrete and polyurea wall  :smiley laughing:

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## DrAndy

termites also eat Smileys

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## benlovesnuk

> Originally Posted by benlovesnuk
> 
> 
> Termites eat any polystyrene cellulose product because they believe its high in vitb,d, and calcium. I would have just bought a tent because those walls wont exist next year.
> The only walls you should build from white devils sperm is a childs play house, every bead of polyfoam feeds a thousand families of insects a day. Youre a charitable man!
> 
> 
> Typical response from someone who does not know a thing.
> Wonderful are the thai termites that can eat concrete and polyurea wall


Oh dear me you are a moron, i dont usually call names but youve changed my perspective on this matter.

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## midas

I am new to this forum and find your posts extremely informative, if you have the time I wondered if you could point me in the right direction in regards to a very small project I would like to do. I would like to build a small water feature/pond in an alcove on my balcony, I was thinking of using Q Con blocks at the front of the alcove thus making a rectangular feature. This would leave me with an existing tiled surface on the bottom and existing plastered and painted sides and back, in addition to the proposed Q Con front. The whole project will be only around 600mm x 1500mm x 200 mm, I would like to tile the inside of the feature (including the bottom if required) with say a black slate type tile. Obviously it will all have to be watertight, any ideas especially in view of the 3 different surfaces involved ? Your help and time in this matter would be most appreciated.

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## Makmak456

anyone have current prices in the Mukdahan area ???  actually about 50K north+/-
TIA
Mark

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## cnx37

This thread is quite apt. We have just commenced building a 2 storey 375sqm home in the north.
It has been recommended that we use Q-con - 20cm for the exterior & 10cm for the interior.
My latest intuitive thought - Q-con - exterior - "red brick" - interior.
Why? Outside - Q-con - insulation & acoustics.
Inside - "red brick" - stronger.
Comments?

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## cnx37

Re #50, "problem" resolved. Q-con throughout.

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## blue bar

^agreed.

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## BrickFactoryBurners

I see clay bricks are a popular building material in Thailand. I am currently looking for a partnership to represent our firing equipment brand. We offer burners for *brick kilns*. Please contact me if you could be interested.  *+39 351 267 5014* imo | whatsapp.




> As you can see houses look quite nice made out of these red bricks.

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## bkkpla

Good day all
Trying to refire this thread on AAC bricks for home building. I saw the quote below which caught my eye from 2011. I also have a builder now quoting me on a home using 7.5cm wide bricks for the outside walls. It seems this is common in Thailand and they provide enough load bearing - for a one story home with metal insulated roof, enough strenth to hang a few cabinets - we do not plan on lots of built in furnitire, have too mauch already as it is.
Wondering if anyone out there now has had experience with AAC and in particular witht he 7.5cm thck bricks, and can comment.
Thanks in advance for any and all on topic input, appreciate it.
Cheers


[QUOTE=fred2krabi;1969053]


> Q-Con Blocks are great, nice and square, 20 by 40centermeters, great insulation qualities and about 25baht each.
> 
> In the first picture you can see a block being cut down to size using an ordinary wood saw, on the wall you can see that the joins are tiny between the blocks, for joining these blocks you use crocodile cement, this is a premixed cement based product that comes in 20 kilo bags, due to the blocks all being the same size and shape it makes it a very quick and easy job to build a wall.
> 
> 
> Hello, i plan to build my house, one floor 160sqm2, the workers want to build the wall with only Q-con with thickness 7,5cm do you think is enough ? Strong and insulation enough ? 
> 
> Thanks a lot for your advice

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## Shutree

AAC blocks are easy to build with and have good thermal insulation once built.
Walls in Thailand are not usually load bearing in the structural sense. They are fine for hanging cabinets, aircons and the like.
There are AAC lintels to bridge doors and windows although builders often dodge buying them and make their own concrete lintels in situ or even no lintel at all, relying only on the strength of the window frame to support the bricks above, which is not recommended.

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## bkkpla

Shutree
Thanks for your repsonse, appreaciate it. I hear what you say and indeed in this case the builder (from worksite photos we have sen) does just as you mention, he builds concrete frames around the windows and doors and skips the lintels. 
I will talk to thim on that point, as it surely must be less work to just lay a lintel on top instead of forming a concrete frame - but I cant say from any experience.
As for the brick depth, still hoping to get_ input on 75mm vs 100mm or more_...the houses I am in now is built with the standard cinder blocks, and it seems fine construction wise, but is prone to get hot, which the q-con should address
Cheers




> AAC blocks are easy to build with and have good thermal insulation once built.
> Walls in Thailand are not usually load bearing in the structural sense. They are fine for hanging cabinets, aircons and the like.
> There are AAC lintels to bridge doors and windows although builders often dodge buying them and make their own concrete lintels in situ or even no lintel at all, relying only on the strength of the window frame to support the bricks above, which is not recommended.

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## Shutree

The AAC lintels are more expensive than DIY concrete and probably need to be ordered beforehand. Which requires preparation and planning, which are unfamiliar skills to local builders, in my experience.
I used 20cm AAC blocks. My house is tiny so it was affordable to me. There is zero heat transfer or heat retention.
My pillars are 20cm so the blocks give plain right angle corners. Just a personal preference, I don't like those 'W' corners.
The same result can be obtained by using double skin 7.5cm blocks with a 5cm air gap. A chap named Tony who did that wrote up his build in great detail.
I believe ThaiDupp used 15cm AAC blocks. Check out his building thread on Teak Door.
Even 7.5cm AAC is going to be superior to cinder blicks or red bricks. Those materials just build you a pizza oven, sucking up heat all day and keeping warm all night. That said, Klondyke has built double skin walls using cinder blocks with an air gap.

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## bkkpla

Thanks for that. Yes it is a fact, that what you state about some local crews. We feel lucky to find this guy, he has offered us many different plans to choose from and has been very receptive to changes - and the one we have now closed on is a hybrid that suits our needs. He also seesm to be one of the better organized. He will travel our here Friday to visit the site, see the land and the set up we are thinking of, give us a detailed breakdown of the build and materials - and we can substitute freely on any items we want (probably I want bigger windows with screens in place, maybe different doors) - and all this without having agreed to a contract. We also have already visited a few of his sites and seen the work he does, and are impressed. 
I am likely much the same as you, no need for a huge place, we want a comfy interior and as much open space as possible, so have a 46sqm plan in mind. The builder himself is very insistent that the 75mm with rendering in and out is more than enough for insulation of heat and noise, and having lived 17+ years here in many cinder block buildings I think I understand and am getting comfortable with the idea. He says he will use whatever width I want but the price will go up and in his opinion its not necessary.
So lets see Friday how things pan out.
I will chekc out the other build threads you mentioned as well
Cheers





> The AAC lintels are more expensive than DIY concrete and probably need to be ordered beforehand. Which requires preparation and planning, which are unfamiliar skills to local builders, in my experience.
> I used 20cm AAC blocks. My house is tiny so it was affordable to me. There is zero heat transfer or heat retention.
> My pillars are 20cm so the blocks give plain right angle corners. Just a personal preference, I don't like those 'W' corners.
> The same result can be obtained by using double skin 7.5cm blocks with a 5cm air gap. A chap named Tony who did that wrote up his build in great detail.
> I believe ThaiDupp used 15cm AAC blocks. Check out his building thread on Teak Door.
> Even 7.5cm AAC is going to be superior to cinder blicks or red bricks. Those materials just build you a pizza oven, sucking up heat all day and keeping warm all night. That said, Klondyke has built double skin walls using cinder blocks with an air gap.

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## Klondyke

> 75mm with rendering in and out is more than enough for insulation of heat and noise, and having lived 17+ years here in many cinder block buildings I think I understand and am getting comfortable with the idea


Did you mean 75 mm of a AAC? it would be OK but not for a cinder block if not in double arrangement with cavity. Actually, the cost of cinder blocks even if doubled are still much cheaper than a single AAC block.

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