Why Haven't We Warmed to Porotherm in the UK?

▶ skill-builder....
‪@WienerbergerOfficial‬ Porotherm Clay Blocks: A Modern Building Solution
Porotherm clay blocks represent a significant advancement in construction materials, providing a blend of traditional clay benefits with modern engineering. Originating from Austria in the 1960s, Porotherm blocks have revolutionized masonry construction through their lightweight, precision-engineered, and environmentally friendly properties.
==========================================
#construction #building #bricks
📪 Newsletter: skill-builder.u...
/ skillbuilder
/ skillbuilderchannel
/ skill_builder
/ skillbuilderuk
🔗 Skill Builder Link Tree: linktr.ee/skil...
🛒 As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases
🎬 Video library: www.youtube.co...
💧 We Support Charity Water: www.charitywat...
◾ Out of respect to our sponsors and followers, we'll remove comments that do not follow expected standards of politeness and decency.

[@richarddavey7884]

I worked in germany 30 years ago, their construction was far more advanced than we are now. We used to build a floor of a block of apartments and the waste wouldnt fill a mortar tub. Here a lift fills a skip with waste. I cant believe that main contractors have never addressed the waste material here. We used a 250mm cube block, kalksandstein, every opening measured multiples of 250mm, width/ height so there was next to no waste material. Architects, manufacturers still design with metric equivalents of imperial dimensions, instead of designing all openings etc to work brick/ block dimensions. Comical

[@sresto7943]

When I did my first own build I was annoyed at the lack of standardisation of measurements in anything, causing masses of waste, 2m2 of brick and block went in to the soak away which the builder explained was a saving for me. This will not happen on the next, I think I'll do the designing and drawings.

[@richarddavey7884]

@sresto7943 many yrs ago I was building an Aldi in Kettering, raked out brickwork. We were really struggling with brick sizes and maintaining uniform joints. They called a rep out for the brick company with regards this. I kid you not, he strung out bricks across the car park for close to 100 yards, measured it and said it was within their tolerances. Material quality control by manufacturers is a joke. I've lay bricks that vary in length by +10mm, -10mm around the standard of 215mm. Height can vary from 60mm-72mm around a standard height of 65mm. Our coursing is 75mm, imagine what that shit looks like.

[@bakedbean37]

@@richarddavey7884 "Material quality control" We don't tolerate tolerances round 'ere mate. 🙂

[@matthewbooth9265]

@@richarddavey7884 As a fellow bricky, i feel your pain. Construction waste is completely out of control in the uk.

[@tightcamper]

I work in electro mechanical assembly, and it's the same with us. The deviation from design by clueless management is truly shocking, unit upon unit is returned, how they make money beats me. If the customer doesn't see it, it's considered OK!

[@kevinbeale4879]

I worked on site around Berlin a few years back and these were all the brickies used, We used 300mm wide blocks, so no cavity and external wall insulation (EWI) on top. Later I specfied them for a self build in Wales and distribution was the biggest problem but we bought a whole lorry load and the suppliers gave my customer some training to set the job up level.....the build flew up. Only downside was fixing downpipes on through the EWI. I love em. Trouble is if you are building an extension and can get the blocks.....what are you going to do in the afternoon? :-)

[@warrenstanford7240]

Beer garden 🍺 😁

[@jojkovelky]

I am building my own house with clay blocks, they're very common around here (Slovakia). I used 44cm thick blocks for outer load bearing walls, 25cm for internal load bearing walls and 14 cm for the interior walls. The thick blocks have about the same thermal properties as Ytong of the same thickness. You can also get them pre-filled with mineral wool or EPS for even better thermals. They're easy to cut with a large circular saw (the thick ones) and with reciprocating saw or angle grinder for the thinner ones. There is some waste as some arrive cracked, others crack while cutting, my estimate is up to 1% based on the extra orders I had to make. I am currently finishing the wiring, no issues with the grooves for the wires - I did all of them with a cheap Parkside wall chaser. Drilling is no issue either, although you have to be more careful and use better quality drill bits. We built the external walls last year and left the exterior untouched for over a year now and absolutely no issues. Even longer periods of rain make the blocks wet only on the outside for a short amount of time, even in winter. However, I strongly recommend covering the top of the unfinished walls while laying them. Once a lot of water gets inside from the top, it takes a long time to dry. Also, I used a bitumen reinforced membrane for the rising damp, we get a lot of it around here. You can use PVC as well. I have a concrete flat roof on them with insulation and an extensive green roof on top of these blocks weighing around 35t in total and no cracks or issues there either. Overall it's been a pleasant system to work with, especially for a self-builder.

[@SkillBuilder]

Thanks I will contact you. It would be good to see.

[@ferrumignis]

What fixings do you use if you want to hang something heavy on the wall? It seems like these blocks would crack very easily with expanding anchor bolts as they'd only be held by a thin outside wall of the block.

[@MoreSplit]

@@ferrumignis no problem to 500-600 kg over this make steel plate.but who hange 500-600 kg on wall.

[@ferrumignis]

@@MoreSplit But what fixings are used?

[@MoreSplit]

@@ferrumignis kzbin.info/www/bejne/rpSXen5phJmGeKssi=5-JeBbyoog63fHyh&t=106 Injektionsmörtel FIS AB 300 fischer if need puling force 5-10000 kg epoxy but normally you need static calculation and permit from local building office.or when you build new building this must be in plan and be approved by government.but this is not your problem this is problem architect who make project and calculation.

[@katego370]

I didn't even know these bricks are not a thing in the UK. I'm so used to them here in Belgium that I just assumed they're everywhere. I can literally go buy some at my local hardware store. We have some left over lying around in our garden. I've also seen them used as an insect hotel. I find them very effective at blocking any holes in our rabbit runs.

[@ep1981]

Historically the UK has often been miles behind in adopting modern building materials. ICF, pipe-in-pipe plumbing, etc. Even PIR-type insulation is relatively recent here. Lots of builders put things up in the manner they were taught by builders who were taught in the 1980s and don’t stay on top of what’s possible. I find there’s more expertise on decent DIY forums these days in terms of what’s new versus what your average tradesman carries around in their head. (And yes this is a generalisation, if it doesn’t describe you then that’s great.)

[@JT-si6bl]

Demand also dictates what the vendors supply. If it's not in sight, it won't be seen! Building regs can be so retar oops -extremely backwards indeed. I helped build a eco-house using a brick called Ziegle Block that has additional U-value than the blocks cited by SB. Same type of system. Excellent thermal property... and moisture control with the use of a 'breathable' lime based render. Prenominally quick - no need for cladding. Also having worked on an 'experimental' build with hay bails was very impressive, but the building regs benchmark couldn't measure the Uvalue since the scale calibration was too small. 'Insulate Britain' are really missing a trick eh

[@user-fq2cf6xf2s]

Er, 'Relatively recent?' I don't know what your interpretation of recent is but it's been in use in the UK since the mid sixties. I've been using it for 30 years and I wouldn't have called it recent even back then.

[@ep1981]

​@@user-fq2cf6xf2s Like I say: if I'm not describing your work, I'm not talking about you. Sounds like you were a quality builder using quality materials, which is great and I wish we had more of you. But the same loft roll that was stuffed into my parents' house in the 1980s is still the most common type of insulation in this country - low R value, cheap, not great. Blown polystyrene beads into cavities that have to be taken out a decade later because they're trapping damp.

[@jontalbot1]

That’s why sites like this are important

[@mnomadvfx]

@@JT-si6bl "Building regs can be so retar oops -extremely backwards indeed" Conservative is a perfect description.

[@TheControversyChannel]

Hi Roger, in Czechia these are generally all they use for internal & external skins! They then have to be rendered or cladded. Rendering or cladding helps attract moisture and prevents moisture from evaporating. Therefore when you travel throughout Czechia, you will see the rising damp at the bottom of the buildings and the render falling off, and same at top of buildings where water is able to get behind the render/cladding. The rendering and brickwork therefore suffer. As soon as you drive into Poland, you start seeing traditional bricks being used again. The biggest problem is that it is now very hard to find a Czech bricklayer that can do face work, which obviously look great when done right. There are almost no brickwork buildings in CZ which is a shame. I'm sure the cost saved with such material is not passed onto the home-buyer but the future repair bills are! Not being able to get good fixes into the wall is a deal breaker for me and many others!

[@undersquint]

Same in Portugal

[@xxwookey]

That (damp-loosened render)'s presumably due to using cheap cement render instead of acrylic or silicone (or lime) renders which are vapour permeable.

[@MrTurboSAAB1]

Clay blocks are superior building material compared to solid bricks. Nobody uses solid bricks in CZ/SK for decades. You can build energy efficient house using clay blocks filled with rockwool or polystyrene. No need for stupid cavity wall.

[@user-cr6oe6yv5x]

Everytime we vist Cz, (Mrs is Cz) I always get stressed by the state of exterior walls and general maintenance, there are lovely properties, but the volume of repairs, cost and time needed by property owner does put me off :(

[@Deiphobuzz]

@@MrTurboSAAB1 Try using them as outside walls only here in wet Netherlands.. You will have plenty of work, and mold without a cavity wall.

[@breaking_mowers3811]

Hi all, did a build with these about 10 years ago, yes on a slab, yes on a sand cement first joint. What is available is a u shaped channel that you can lay at each story height and cast a ring beam in which gives you a really good opportunity to correct any issues. Loved the stuff.

[@scottyc7220]

I have a large 350m2 house in Eastern Europe built with Porotherm blocks. They are typically externally covered with 10cm of insulation, then rendered. These blocks are also available with insulation built in.

[@Aengrod]

Some barbarian from UK will now try to explain the 'superiority' of their methods. Lol

[@florichi]

Here in Austria most get built with 25cm blocks and 16cm insulation or even the 50cm blocks from Wienerberger.

[@TheTacticalHaggis]

@@Aengrod Not really. I see most people in the comments are saying we're years behind in that respect.

[@africandreamchild]

I used these on two houses including external walls and one house done with a single block with insulation. Laid the blocks myself. Happy to discuss the experience. Won’t use anything else.

[@ianbrooks5038]

i used these for the renovation of my slovenian house with a ytong inner lining to the blockwork with no cavity. it was easy to do and the thermal efficency is incredible. our house is warm in winter and really cool in summer while facing -15 to +40 degree temperature swings outside. i really dont understand why they are so rare in the UK. love this product, also weinberger roof tiles are amazing quality

[@ceadarchitects8226]

We have used these on a few small projects for over 15 years. Agree with some of the other comments in that they can be a pain to drill into as they are strong but brittle. We've used them for external walls as well with render finish and they are still totally fine 10 years later. Bricklayers hate them which is the main issue. You can't get them specified unless the main contractor fully buys into training up some lads to do it. The whole point is to use semi-skilled labour and actually folks trained from nothing were better at it than the bricklayers. They even have a 365 wide block which you can use without a cavity and with external insulation and render. Used right, these are an excellent product.

[@hausmeisterbanane]

The go up to 50 cm wide in Europe, gives you quite the nice baseline thermal performance without doing anything (a pain to carry though).

[@VanyaYani]

Every tradesman hates DIYable products that require no skill. They see it as manufacturers or stores competing with them. Overall England has an allergy for new.

[@Darrida]

Why bricklayers hate them?

[@mnomadvfx]

@@VanyaYani *Britain, not just England.

[@foxxyboxxy9348]

switch off the hammer function of your drill, done. If you know what you're doing, porotherm is so superior and efficient, it's not even funny anymore.

[@Lee-xs4dj]

Used them on my house in italy. Used 30cm thick ones, rendered with sand and cement on outside and inside. Render sticks well. I also 10cm thick ones for internal walls and used a gun adhesive for those. Can put up an internal wall very quickly this way. Took me a few attempts to buy the right wall anchors to hang things but I eventually found ones with a picture of the blocks on the packaging and they worked well.

[@broxton579]

How about any need to earthquake proof. Did you need to follow regulations?

[@Valks-22]

​@@broxton579 my house is built with them, as shown here wienerberger 25cm if I'm not mistaken + 15cm graphite styrophoam insulation outside. Had 6.2 earthquake a few years ago, not a crack anywhere. For comparison the wall mounted IKEA kitchen cupboards were rocked off

[@RedRupert64]

Our house in France is built with them. They're rendered on the outside with self-coloured crépi - a rough-cast plaster. The walls are around 400mm thick and this provides decent insulation in winter and summer. The upstairs floor is made of beams with these tile bricks slid in between, then 100mm or reinforced concrete it laid on top. This provides excellent soundproofing, so makes a very pleasant dwelling. The building is 30+ years old and there are no cracks inside.

[@colinmiller5502]

0

[@jimgeelan5949]

I had a house in turkey for 12 years all the building was fine apart from the first meter internally, it was sucking up moisture but I think it was because the builders didn’t give a flying frigment as to how it was built, i put it down lack of dpc because i did dig up part of the lovely looking patio slabs ( o how very nice ) made to look good for the buyer and no DpC. Every body just needs to the job property.

[@user-fg6sb9lg2j]

Been in the construction industry for 60 years and have experience of house build in many countries all build techniques are dependant on the skill and ability of the builder and also taking into account the circumstances and location and weather. Traditional build in the UK and building regulations serve a practical purpose. Kind regards Tim

[@martinwarner1178]

You said it Captain. Peace and goodwill.

[@ItsFriscoBaby]

Yeah but what is that and how is it applicable to this product? Saying we use this product because we do isn't helpful.

[@JohnJohn-cu7nk]

​@ItsFriscoBaby England is cold. THATS WHY WE USE THERMAL blocks

[@WhichDoctor1]

They use these in Germany and it get a lot colder there than it does in the UK most of the time

[@Aengrod]

​@@JohnJohn-cu7nk lol, they use those blocks are used in countries where it easily gets to -30*C

[@ivanpuskaric6851]

I live in the UK, but in Croatia we build with these, and then just simply finish outer with external insulation(rock woll is best option since it is breathable and fire resistant, but many people use cheaper polystirene). Only difference is, since it is an earthquaqe prone area, building regs require vertical (every 3-4 meters if I remember corectly), and horizontal (above openings like doors and windows, load bearing walls, and top of blocks every floor all around) reinforced concrete pours, width of the block and 25-50 cm in height, depending of the structure

[@user-ug8wx5er1w]

In the UK it all depends on what the mortgage insurance companies accept.

[@jmbeames]

I had a house built in the Toulouse region of France when I was living there, and it was built using clay bricks and then covered french crepe which is a type of rendering used extensively in France. They are great at keeping the building warm in the winter and cool in the summer. I am still amazed we haven't progressed in the UK past using concrete block!

[@evamg21]

While I am currently building with 30 cm standard porotherm on the outside walls, my friend is using the newer version which has its airpockets filled with insulation. These are way more expensive but you save on insulation.

[@chris-terrell-liveactive]

A friend in Wales built his house using these, seems very happy with the result some years later. He had a sound raft base with membrane. Looks a good system .

[@firebladeboy.539]

I fitted two windows in my Spanish villa, used these block to block up around the windows, they were double thickness and used them installed to the exterior outer skin, and then skimmed over with capa fina and they are perfectly waterproofed. I bedded between courses with mortar and not adhesive and also fine. 👍

[@jonnybak]

I used those in my renovation, added a new extention and some new internal walls. Everything was done in 1 days work, i used the dryfix its the foam, its crazy strong that bond i was in disbelieve. Also no mortar or adhesive like in the video needed with the foam, really fast.

[@landcruiser801]

There are lots of different methods that they use in house building in Europe which we don t seem to take on here. Would be good if you did a dedicated series on things like that.

[@davel4708]

It's amazing seeing how things are built in places without earthquakes. I'd love to be able to build like this.

[@peglor]

I'd be surprised if these weren't earthquake rated. The UK and Ireland are probably the least earthquake prone areas in Europe and also the ones that aren't using these blocks.

[@tessjuel]

Wienberger also makes a special earth quake resistant variant, the Porotherm seismic clay block.

[@Croz89]

@@peglor Indeed, parts of southern europe such as Italy, Greece and the Balkans are earthquake prone enough to be a concern.

[@matthiasmai9074]

3:35 rising damp on your conkret slap the first layer is always a mambrane there are special ones for these stones and after the 2 or 3 row depending on stone highth ther should be a second mambrane installed to prevent any rising damp

[@240soundwave]

I love this, get back from work smashing down blockwork, talking about building all day long and straight into an interesting look at how it is done differently. Roger you should ask for people to send in funny dodgy stuff on site, there is a bloke on youtube that has got millions of views you've been framed style like sort of thing.

[@SkillBuilder]

Thanks for the tip, it would be a good idea. We need a bit of a boost.

[@nickvdW1958]

Hi Roger, we built a couple of care homes with. The main issues we found were: 1. Reveals and steps in the structure were based on traditional block sizes so there was excess cutting. 2. It de-skills block laying. Once the first course is laid, precisely, a well drilled gang of labourers could build witMmmh a foreman. As a result the bricklayers hated it. Contrary to your film a trowel is not a tool that is needed. Telling the brickies to leave their trowels at home did not go down well! If I was building my own house I would seriously consider these. They do one filled with insulation too. Unfortunately price, availability, and a lack of labour willing to embrace them means we will be stuck gluing concrete blocks together for years to come!

[@KenFullman]

As a retired brickie I can confirm. One look at these makes me wince. If god wanted us to build walls like this he wouldn't have invented trowels. It's the devils work.

[@h.alfred5320]

I dont think it de-skills block laying. In Eastern-EU this is still a bricklayer's job and they dont have to leave trowels at home. Also building code requires skilled worker to do that specific job not labourers. We used standard mortal as "adhesive", on site mixed cement, sand, lime . Some extrem cases I have seen foam used as glue (similar to expanding foam). That tool in the video efficient but we never used such thing or seen used while I was a labourer.

[@evansisgreat]

3:42 Theres a passivhaus terrace built with (the thickest version) these with no additional insulation. Plaster inside, render outside and thats it, electrical services in the blocks. Tomas Gartner was the architect, it's a really interesting project

[@tonysheerness2427]

I first saw these in the Frankfurt Home and gardening show 35 years ago and was impressed with the speed of laying.

[@JackGuitar1207]

Amazing piece of kit. 20 years old house didn't sink at all, no cracks on the walls. House is cold in summer and warm in winter. Far superior than anything I saw in England.

[@dannyboy7289]

I would give them a go, not for a client yet but on my own home to test the water

[@hunchbackaudio]

In the Netherlands we use Ytong, which are made of aerated concrete. Ytong blocks offer optimal construction options, are lightweight, heat-insulating, able to accumulate heat (and later release it), insensitive to moisture, sound-insulating, fire-resistant and frost-resistant. Moreover, they are environmentally friendly and sustainable. I’ve heard they are pretty popular in Germany also.

[@ilyaognev2361]

I am with you. Compare to the clay-blocks the aerial concrete is much better. But also has some nuances.

[@RichardEnglander]

How long does that last before it crumbles?

[@SkillBuilder]

we have Ytong in the U.K too. They started in Sweden but are now made in several factories including Greece and Turkey/ We have quite a lot of autoclaved aerated block brands in the U.K but cracking is a common problem. From what I have seen Ytong seems to crack less.

[@hunchbackaudio]

@@RichardEnglander The factory say they will last 50 to 100 years on average. Pretty comparable to normal concrete. If you can protect them from the elements I think you can expand that lifespan quite a bit. Never seen any crumbling, just don’t let them drop. You can even cut them with a hand saw and are easy stackable and you simply glue them together. There’s even curved ones, so you can make some interesting constructions.

[@RichardEnglander]

@@SkillBuilder mmm we used to build from stone...

[@simonbertioli4696]

I use them in Spain.... really good. Easy effective and very flexible... And a variety of sizes.. Once dry and solid easy to cut a channel for electricity cables.. So when people say they are rubbish... It's probably due to the fact they really know little on using them.. However, yup one needs to use a membrane... Here in Spain they all laughed...when l insisted they put one down... Years later, showed some, look no dampness...

[@markchisholm2657]

My mate in Spain has had a house built by a large builder catering for the higher end houses. He's from Belgium and the builder is Spanish. His house is built with UK style blocks because they consider them to be superior albeit a bit more expensive.

[@Mindersonagain]

What, like our superior plastic guttering etc, etc😂😂

[@jaygoodwin6287]

​@@Mindersonagainhow did you get plastic from concrete blocks?

[@johnburns4017]

Dense concrete blocks are superb for *_thermal mass._* Thermal mass keeps internal temperatures more stable as they absorb heat and coolth. They are strong and superior for drilling into. Best used on an internal brick cavity wall, or sold with external insulation.

[@MatzeMaulwurf]

Here in Germany we use it very often. I tend to use them for outer walls and inner walls I use Kalksandstein. It has better acoustics values. But also the calibrated ones (498x248 mm). No mortal only glue. Stays straight and nearly no waste.

[@ChrisThomas-x5b]

As a beginner, I used Porotherm for the inner and outer skin, with a 150mm fully filled cavity. Worked like a dream, building control were very happy, and a thin render on the outer skin is perfect. Just make sure the right mix is used fot the render - it is different to standard blocks.

[@Professorvapes]

i love them used them on my property in spain it is like using leggo

[@zilfondel]

American here - we have many historic buildings made of this type of product which we call “structural clay tile.” I just worked on a 110 year old 2 story high school built from it. Pros - Fireproof, very long lasting, accepts plaster finishes well. Unitized construction goes up quickly if you have a local skilled masonry workforce. Material should last forever. Cons - cant build without skilled masons (our case), US building codes don’t recognize it as a modern building material (we list it as an “archaic” building material, lol), and it is brittle making it difficult to drill into it to alter the structure in the future. Seismic reinforcement is difficult in high seismic zones. Most of our buildings built out of this material have NO rebar! Question - how do you guys typically insulate structures built from this material? Interior or exterior insulation?

[@syproful]

Like you saw on the Belgian construction site. They are bonded with very heavy duty PU these days. No more making mortar or glue. It’s crazy strong and fast.

[@UncleNewy1]

I'm a carpenter now living in Spain, and they are used everywhere AND THEY ARE CRAP!! There is damp everywhere, they are brittle and you can't fix anything to them because they simply fall apart once you try to drill them.

[@SkillBuilder]

That is an interesting perspective. Do you think there is a Spanish bloke making a video asking why the Spanish don't use aircrete? As for the damp , it confirms what I said about the Spanish not using DPCs. I think some nut job told them that there is no such thing as rising damp.

[@UncleNewy1]

@@SkillBuilder very often they just lay the first course directly to bedrock or even loose ground! I have a lot of clients who are ex pats living in relatively new villas....and they ALL have damp around the first 500/600 mm of the internal walls. None of them can understand why because of the obvious weather, and there's nothing they can do that stops it. Cracked walls are common because of movement, and they will sometimes use just 50mm thick bricks for dividing walls. Which means it's very easy to simply come through the other side when drilling. I've learned to deal with them these days........but I hate them.

[@annashealthylifeeverything8583]

Maybe you are talking about the normal clay bricks they are using everywhere in Spain and Portugal? Not the thermo clay bricks? It's not the same product

[@johncunningham9094]

Same as that here in Portugal. Taken me 5 years to learn how to deal/work with them.

[@KenFullman]

I was wondering about the issue of fixing to them. Maybe we just take it for granted that we can hang things on the wall but that's not what walls are made for.

[@rafesaunders3373]

They are used here in Italy a lot too. Just had the builders use them to block off an old chimney. They are also rated for earthquakes.

[@cgi2002]

I want to know how they are Earthquake rated since they basically have no adhesive between layers. Their lateral force resistance can't be particularly impressive because of that without very high compressive force on them. Their interlocking nature is minimal and I can't see it holding them together well enough to make up for the lack of adhesive material. Also with been clay they must be fairly fragile when it comes to direct impacts, so heavy falling debris is a potential issue.

[@stuartwigen916]

Worked with them in Germany, excellent blocks too work with, go up very quick, compared to your British block, ie no perp joints, except on the quoins.

[@michaelburley2905]

Worked in Australia for a few years and they used these . Different variation but essentially the same block much easier to lay than normal blocks . Elbow sings after a day on uk blocks now ha

[@davewilson7565]

Look a great product, my daughter lives in France and they we’re building new houses with these 🙏👍🏻

[@AldisoKristian]

In UK traders learn trade from older traders, no proper construction/building schools like abroad and all the time they teach new things as they come, but here in UK if you have guy from 80's, 90's, 00's(trade expertise) who teaches you in your job, then that's it, you just learn most old things. Even exterior composite panels right now are like WOW, when they are like everywhere else for ages, same about clay blocks, ecotherm blocks etc.

[@simplecountrylife1980]

Hi Roger, we are about to start building our own home in Poland with Porotherm. From what I have read I think it is an excellent system, much better than the thermoblocks and cement blocks of our previous home in the U.K. (Taylor wimpey) Very excited to see this home develop. Natural material as well so healthier inside. I will sheet it with clay board, clay plaster then paint it in yosima.

[@SkillBuilder]

I have just had a look at your channel, great fun! Best of luck with it, I will follow you.

[@annashealthylifeeverything8583]

Hi comments on your video are inactivated. I'm interested to see the content about porotherm system you will be using. what is clay boards? I'm in Portugal right now. the have these kind of bricks here but I never seen or heard about clay boards.

[@simplecountrylife1980]

@SkillBuilder thanks guys… still fighting through the red tape but getting there! Hoping to start soon. Thanks for following 😊

[@simplecountrylife1980]

@annashealthylifeeverything8583 many thanks for the message. I need to figure how to activate them! All new to this. Any suggestions? The clay boards are exactly how they sound. It is clay pressed into a board like gypsum/plasterboard. Bonded or screwed on. I wanted further thermal mass on the inside wall and to help regulate humidity and air quality. Have a look at claytec although on the more expensive side it will give you an idea 😀

[@simplecountrylife1980]

Think I sorted the comments now - thanks

[@whylie74]

It does get surprisingly cold and wet in southern spain in the winter but they build their houses for the summer when it's 40+ in the shade and dry'n'crispy.

[@peterthebricky]

The reason I'm sat at home watching this video is 40 years of laying concrete blocks, I layed a lot of poroton blocks in Germany once you get used to it it’s easy but they were better set up for it large bench cutter on most jobs various sizes of blocks to reduce cuts as well I think training is the main problem most people try it once it’s a struggle and don't bother again, regarding training Celcon were doing a push on thin joint around 2001 and a site near me was using it so the subbie sent me there as I had worked in Germany , it was a nightmare a proper slash gang I tried to explain to the forman the importance of getting the first course right but no there were guys proping walls with scaffold boards trying to get them back to plumb, the cherry on the cake for me was when the weasely guy from celcon came around with the site agent and told me not to use my tools bought and used in Germany as they weren't any good and I had to use the supplied trowel a simple U about 100mm square

[@SkillBuilder]

Hi Pete That is interesting. I made the first training video for Celcon thin joint. The trouble was that they are not the same blocks that the merchant stocks. They have to be manufactured to fine tollerances. I built one place from them and they cracked like mad because there was no give in the courses. I think there is a good reason they didn't catch on.

[@twistyturd]

Used to see these a lot in France and they used them a lot for stud walls aswell. What was more impressive is the ones they used for stud walls were only about 50mm thick!! They also made ceilings out of them but didn’t see much of that for obvious reasons. As an inside skin I would favour them over Thermalites because they are a lot stronger. It always seems mental to me that you can put massive RSJ’s onto Thermalites and 9 times out of 10 they only specify a padstone for the beam to go on. I always put a spreader lintel under the pads, makes me feel better 😅

[@mickthurston9883]

Thank you very informative. I'm a plumber to . Your VLOG about the yellow stock was fantastically informative. Mick

[@StewSims]

Have something similar in internal walls of our 60s property. Seems they have been used in the UK on and off in the past but not very widely. Seems to be a good alternative to other types of blocks as long as they're laid properly. Some structural engineers aren't too keen on them though. Certainly no damp problems or structural issues in our place, nor any issues securing fixings to them.

[@user-lf7gn4ku9n]

You can get these easily in the uk and training. Cavity walls should not be built in this era of energy efficiency but 190 solid wall porotherm brick or wider. Insulation has a life span of 40 years. So putting it in cavity is not smart, plus cavity is more work, requires higher level of workmanship not easily found and should be fazed out. We do small extensions all the time and you can order a few packs for years and are stocked. Try E H Smith. You will find your information is not the case. Love your channel and watch often. But just wanted to correct you on this. Come and visit some of my sites if you like where we use this on double and single small extensions.

[@paultant6741]

Did a job using these they were 360mm deep so no cavity. Although totally level on the flat the upright could be slightly out so had to use a 6ft level to get the overall level. Could walk up the corner on the blocks straight after being laid as you could go as high as you like. Supposed to go up quickly but window openings were all in a half course and big windows so had to use u blocks filled with concrete and steel for lintels. The house was in a cross section so 4 gables. Then u blocks all under wall plates filled with concrete that also had to go up and over gables as well. Overall a great product but a lot of cutting. By the way had to drink plenty of water on this house as i am convinced the blocks were sucking the moisture out of me

[@dwwolf4636]

Design the home with the brick dimensions as a guide ?

[@paultant6741]

@dwwolf4636 yes. Live in Ireland myself and a few lidl or aldi did this and they went up in no time

[@chrisfox5525]

Interestingly my 1957 house in Manchester UK, has the internal walls made of these blocks. I was surprised to find them during recent renovation.

[@philhobson1532]

when i worked in manchester we used to call them salamander blocks, i used them quite often

[@-htl-]

Like the multi layer building in your example video most, also used in France, have the airgaps on the side, so horizontal instead of vertical. So as you can see they are cemented all arround. On the flat/long side you can use a tool that lays a thinner layer 0.5-0.7cm of cement because the blocks are very straight. Disadvantage to concrete block is that they are more expensive however do better in insolation, speed/easy and steadiness.

[@megapangolin1093]

Very interesting and well scripted examination of one of lifes great mysteries- why not in the UK? I always thought that they were weedy and not as efficient for heat insulation in our country, and would allow a lot more sound through, and that the only plus was that the builder spent less time and money on the erection of new builds. Seems like I was wrong. Good video, not sure about the tootly lift music in the background, tends to grind the ear after a while, and detract from learning about the subject. Thank you again.

[@owenoneill5955]

One of the main reasons they are so widely used in Europe is that large parts of Europe are under Eurocode8 Siesmic regulations for earthquakes. This means most new buildings are monolithic concrete structures and porothem, or similiar, are just infill blocks. You can get expanding foam for laying them on now. It has been the norm for donkeys years to fill the gap between the blocks and the slab with expanding foam.

[@hausmeisterbanane]

Many houses (especially single family homes) in Europe are built with just Porotherm blocks as the load bearing structure. It's especially common with self builders and gives you great thermal performance out the door before adding any insulation (especially if you go with the 50cm wide ones).

[@mjoelnir1899]

There are a lot of houses in Portugal build with Porotherm, but they use a frame from steel reinforced concrete than is than filled in with Porotherm. Rather like in the middle ages, when a oak framed houses was filled in with bricks or clay mixed with straw.

[@Vile_Entity_3545]

@@mjoelnir1899That sounds like a nice sturdy type of structure.

[@Belaziraf]

Porotherm is mostly used as natural thermal insulation. External walls need to be at least 25 cm width to get the best thermal inertia. They're much more expensive than concrete blocks but you need a bit less insulation. Cost wise, it's a bit more expensive for a finished building. At least here in France. It's more popular in the south as thermal inertia is crucial in summer. And not wide spread because of French construction laws that sum up as the thicker the wall, the smaller space you get. Of course it also depend on local regulations on the surface ratio you can build and the size of your property.

[@MK-bv6wn]

Looking the video wondering where was recorded, namely in my country even before Euro code it was not alowed to build outer walls tinner than 20cm for a single story building, higher building need min 30cm

[@davidrussell8689]

Great to see you highlighting alternatives in building materials . A “ new product “ sometimes needs special attention to get the builders onsite to understand how to use them correctly. People are normally reluctant to embrace new materials / working methods especially when there’s money involved 😂

[@smellysam]

In the North, we call them "snel bow" - Fast construction. I dip one end in the glue to make them airtight (same idea at 7:52) and put swimming pool additive in the base layer.

[@bikerbobcat]

Fascinating video, I've wondered about these. I've never seen them in the US to my knowledge. Thanks for sharing.

[@ColinWatters]

There are several thin joint systems. Celon for example. The main advantage claimed is that you can build more than 1.5m per day because the joints become load bearing faster.

[@MikeGorman-nb4hm]

You can get 400mm thick blocks which have amazing thermal properties. It becomes a solid wall structure so long as vapour barriers are all in place.

[@daveharvey4345]

Just started a house in Cambridge with these blocks. I must say I'm looking forward to using this style of block to see if its as good as they say. The first course is in, had to cut down every block to get the floor height correct but hopefully from now on it should be plain sailing to first floor slab.(Lets hope).

[@Tracertme]

Come to Australia and see how we build…. Rammed earth included, We have far higher thermal daily temperature variations a building has to take temperature changes of 20c in 30 minutes… during weather changes.. In my new steel frame house you can put the heating on one day, switch it off and it’s still the same temperature 2 days later inside… half the house walls are double glassed windows.. floor to ceiling jobs…. Windows are from Germany. One thing we do badly is the use of 1000’s of different fitting types screws etc…. It’s a bloody nightmare working out what’s best to use.

[@philhobson1532]

i used fastwall in australia a type of hollow clay block very easy to use that was in w.a.

[@terryross1754]

My house is built with these, plus dense (HE) 20cm styrofoam insulation outside with silicone render. We have -20C to +42C temperature range, and I only need heating or airco on the coldest or hottest extremes, and even then, on low-power eco mode. BUT, putting a plug in the inside walls is a pain. Best use long concrete self-tappers and a hammer drill.

[@mrright8794]

Was on a site near Birmingham in 2014 that built houses with these blocks. We were there to fit the kitchens and what a nightmare it was. Had to use very expensive special fixers to secure the units to the wall. It was also a nightmare for plumbers and sparkies.

[@ypeveldhuis4527]

Go to Spain, Portugal etc to see their plumbing. All inside the walls with supplyvalves nicely on rosettes, just tidy looking everything. Time will tell if and when construction will/can go that way, as our latest houses now are just a brick skin over a wooden property.

[@user-ug8wx5er1w]

I bet the mortgage insurers didn’t like it too much either.

[@mrlotusmic]

This year I fixed a very expensive house with these in Wimbledon for a well known house builder. They used these as the internal face block (they never used them again) for a cavity in a basement that had a swimming pool. All ripped out as the condensation in the walls and floor had killed the house. Didn’t help that no vapour barrier was behind them. They can be good in some climates and situations but not so great in others. The calcs are important.

[@mikekelly5869]

The best of materiaks will fail if the build is wrong. Imagine paying for a basement swimming pool and skimping on the fees to hire a designer that hasn't appeared on the Muppet Show.

[@george9710]

What you are describing is incorrect product usage and a builder who failed to train their staff. Clay blocks are infill material on the continent with the load bearing part of the building constructed from reenforced concrete. Basement walls are never made from clay blocks and you cannot stop damp going through them. Honestly, the architect that approved this should shred their degree as clay bricks are not waterproof and neither are these blocks. It is impossible to build a basement with this and also cavity walls have no place in below ground construction.

[@mrlotusmic]

@@george9710 As stated they were used as an internal face block forming a cavity. Nearly every basement wall has a cavity built today I’ve worked on be it a city piled office block or domestic. The face of that concrete wall is pretty cold and most at some point in their lives will leak. Requires inspection hatches so you can keep an eye on occasional. BS 8102:2022 ‘Protection of Below Ground Structures Against Water Ingress’ is best practise. Follow that and basement owners should have a nice environment.

[@steveorton2441]

Apparently successive government's didn't realise that the ash that is the main ingredient of Thermolite and Celcon blocks. The ash comes from coal fired power stations. The last coal powered power station is Ratcliffe on Soar near East Midlands Airport. It is scheduled to shut down this year. While they do have a pile of ash stored over the years when it's gone it ain't coming back. What will we build with then?

[@copperweave]

Literally anything else? It's not like humans haven't been building stuff without coal plants for... Most of our existence? It's fine.

[@steveorton2441]

@@copperweave economical suggestions forthcoming?

[@brendanpells912]

​@@copperweaveYes, we used to build houses with solid walls using traditional clay bricks, that's why they're so badly insulated. The calcium sulphate from Ratcliffe on Soar was also used as a feedstock for the nearby plasterboard and plaster products factory. Yes, we can go back to old-fashioned building methods if you don't mind old-fashioned standards of energy-efficiency

[@brendanpells912]

Imported blocks

[@xsbxsbxsb]

Well this video took me back a few years, nice one! I helped a friend put up a house with these bricks/blocks in Austria. Poured concrete basement and ground floor slab. The first course was bedded on cement, perfectly levelled. The remaining courses were bonded with special expanding spray foam, specifically for this type of brick -> this gave us perfect angles. Cutting was using a huge wet saw (around 100cm diameter blade). The experience was much as you describe aside from those points. Some bricks have glass wool insulation in the cavities - what are your thoughts on those?

[@ena6631]

Hi Roger, the compressibility is expressed in N/mm² or kgf/cm². Nm (Newton-Metre) is a Torque unit, not compressibility. Just trying to help. Great programme and very helpful for my DIY. Cheers!

[@SkillBuilder]

Thanks I know, I keep saying it wrong, maybe because we tend to just say 7 Newton block rather than the longer version.

[@josephchambers747]

You must cover the wall if its going to rain they hold the rain water in the cells if this happens you plaster the house it starts to effect the plaster inside and out this happened to a client of a builder in kinsale in Ireland not a happy customer

[@kevinmills5293]

I’ve used them quite a lot and they are OK. They are a better insulator compared to concrete blocks. I use regular mortar and so long as I soak the blocks first, they are fine.

[@TheSynthnut]

These are widely rendered, Wienerberger do system renders specifically for this for example their Baumit range. The UK is sometimes so backwards in its building practices, a combination of our regulatory and control system and maybe trades being ingrained in their ways too. These blocks are no magic bullet, it's possible to screw anything up given have a chance of course but I'm sure they will become more widespread once minds are opened.

[@matthewnewton9129]

Just some context about Spanish weather: while the Mediterranean coast and the south is generally warm, Madrid gets much hotter in summer but also colder in winter than London due to its altitude on the meseta at 650m (but is drier) and La Coruña in Galicia gets a good deal more annual rainfall than Leeds (1040 cm v 640 cm).

[@Donney26]

Love to see these on the market in the Uk more readily. Too many big builders set in their ways (std details etc), and its the smaller more independent ones that can adapt, so why not stock them at more builders merchants...?

Have a look as Iso Span. It is a wood-concrete material manufactured in Austria but available for shipping to the UK as well. Very easy to work with, can even be premade into wall segments, very good insulation. My house was built from it in the early 1960s and is still holding up perfectly. Newer variations are availbable with builtin insulation. R-Values of up to 6,51 are available. U-Value is 0,148 for those blocks then. They allow for very rapid construction with great thermal and accoustic properties.

[@MChagall]

I am glad you like our products. In Czechia together with the University of Prague they developed a special porotherm brick that can be used by a robot building walls. Might be interesting to have a look at.

[@lysergiicuk133]

We attempted to use these on a few houses on a site I was on a few years ago. As a carpenter, to try and fix things to these was an absolute nightmare.

[@jamescarver6275]

Got some similar bricks upstairs in my 1959 house. Rewired it a few years ago and agree was a bu$£er to fit any sockets. Really brittle, then shattered to sharp edges leaving a big void. Had to use loads of gripfill and battons to mount the back boxes.

[@shaunmurray7398]

Nightmare to plaster, we used a scud coat to stop the suction but far slower process! This was 30 year’s ago, they never caught on. surprisingly!

[@glynluff2595]

So the basic building rules apply for layout. The use recommended is for internal walls but many of the illustrations show apparently external walls. Parging appears recommended and they absorb water enough to discuss how to avoid the problem. There seems to be a lack of defined comparison of heat transmission in winter and summer with current materials in U.K. That is not bad in itself but this is a comparison article so it should be made and much of the contents seems to relate to how you can correct layout failures as with current materials.

[@SkillBuilder]

This is not a detailed look at thermal efficiency and it didn't claim to be. The question is clear in the title. It also doesn't claim to be a comparison article. You missed the point about laying out the first course. With sand and cement you have a chance to correct each course as you go but with thin joint adhesive you don't. As for damp, many building materials absorb water and those that don't often trap water. Parging is recommended not because of damp but because the perps are not filled so there is an air gap. at the end of each block. Some people point the joint or even use a mastic on each one.

[@glynluff2595]

@@SkillBuilder But the title makes it a comparison article; Why don’t we use these?

[@jnd6891]

Why Haven't We Warmed to Porotherm in the UK? Because in the UK we use cheapest materials to build the most expensive houses that are damp, full of faults and fallig apart before you move in. Developers profits are the top priority not the quality.

[@dale-qz9dg]

I think you answered your own question, they aren't used because they need to be layed level and plumb, a task that seems beyond many building companies

[@Domini_k]

In the UK, our methods of construction are very traditional, surprised house builders aren't seeing the cost benefits these could bring-, although in Scotland they use timber frames due to wood resources availability, not so much in England.

[@georgeanastasi7729]

Very interesting, seen these used loads, especially in Southern Europe, infilling reinforced concrete shells. Would watch a similar video on SIPs as a similarly simple looking construction method.

[@SkillBuilder]

Good suggestion

[@undersquint]

And CLT

[@music-xq8vm]

I had them on the internal wall in my house and I think they are brilliant fantastic and work extremely well

[@newbeginnings8566]

They are thicker versions with many more air pockets.. these act as a thermal insulation.. We built our house in France with these.. those heavy concrete blocks offer no insulation and are hard to work with.. No regrets at all

[@tombloomfield4784]

Have met these, or the local equivalent, at my home in Portugal. Heat and sound insulation just done. The only problem is with an internal wall you drill in to put up a shelf and hit a void. Bust be a trick for when it happens.

[@LeeTillbury]

Just don't try and put any substantial shelves up on the internal walls. Nothing to fix to.

[@Equoris]

I had (took it down because it became redundant) a 120 kg hot water tank that was fixed to an internal 10 cm thick porotherm wall. The kitchen cabinets are on the other side of the same wall. They are completely fine, these walls can take a considerable load. The outer walls of the house are made up of 30 cm thick porotherm blocks with 10 cm of insulation on them. A lot of people here (presumably from the UK) seem to think these are weak and can't take a load, they are in fact very strong. Obviously, check the ratings on them when installing something heavy, but that should be the case for any type of wall anyway. Builders are simply unfamiliar (a lot less familiar with it than with commonly used materials and methods) with it in the UK, that's all.

[@firmbutton6485]

If the jointing compound was spanning the air gaps, they’d so incredibly energy efficient. Maybe if a nylon scrim tape was automatically placed as the glue was applied that would create a seal between them.

[@charliespence5962]

Looks proper quality Roger. More content like this please.

[@adamsmithelec]

There are some blocks like this I have come across in old 60's council housing in London. Wind up for fitting back boxes in. Not the end of the world if you have bonding on the van to bed them in but you do have to wait for it to set before you can second fix.

[@SkillBuilder]

I use foam

[@deanwild4971]

I always thought these looked like a superior product.

[@darringodden7225]

You had a good go at selling these Roger. Great with a good lime mortar joint as you would get a deflection on every wall tie and you can't take your biggest hammer to your nice old alloy 4' level as they sometimes do when they are trying to get down the usual 1000 bricks a day. Up the old boys!

[@adriansharp9409]

I have a house in Manchester, built in 1946 which has internal walls upstairs built with hollow clay blocks. Difficult to install back boxes for power sockets!

[@crimsonlightbinder]

yup,widely used in Romania,as well. My house has 30 cm porotherm outside with 10cm polistherene insulation noce and good. Could have had thicker insulation, but again I also have large windows

[@nikkion2140]

I love to use this for an outbuilding in garden or build a garage. Or use them to make 4 inch wall into 9 inch wall in conversion project. By the way, I am not a builder but I find the process is facinating and great pleasure to see the end product.

[@user-jj1yq7yz4g]

I never work with poroform these days but as a metal fixer I can say they were a nightmare to fix to. Abutment stud and 6A were impossible to shoot on even in the tiny joints. Only way I use I do it (10 + years ago) was to drill a 6mm hole very carefully with a hammer drill, fit a cheap quality and I mean cheap red wall plug and then drive a 35mm tapcon into it. I’m sure there’s proper fixings these days

[@cezarypecyna2662]

grete materialls , we use tchem more like 20 years in Europ. Exelent performance. You can also but this materialls filled which rockwool insullation

[@paololaconi1559]

in Italy we use this tipe of blocks i belive since the 40s

[@PaulSkinner-d3c]

We once owned an early 60s house lined with these blocks. They were useless, especially if you had to set anything thing into the internal wall below the surface, like flush electrical sockets. You had to packed out the interior of the hollow block until you could secure a fixing.

[@zenonbambarya7844]

I am surprised they didn`t supply You with number of blocks You needed. In Poland, I just call Bricoman and they will deliver one, two or a hundred blocks. Or more. One downside of Porotherm block is drilling holes for fixings, like Fischer DuoPower. If you hit void, then its OK. If you hit the rib or the joint of rib and void, then the drill goes instantly to the void and the hole is not straight. The only way, imho, is to drill with diamond crown drill. Normal bricks have huuuge adventage here.

[@SkillBuilder]

That is good to know, thanks for the comment.

[@yngndrw.]

That's one thing I really like about aircrete blocks, they are very consistent. I drill them with a Brad Point bit and use a Rawl Uno plug, which is sufficient for most things and goes exactly where you want it to - There are no stones or voids to hit.

[@tonysmith2715]

Try chopping boxes in when doing a rewire with these bricks, easy to chop in, hours of fun fixing them.