Poroton Blocks

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Mike_C

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Having read the key post on this website on Poroton Blocks I wonder is anybody currently building with this product in the Cork / Munster area? Other than convincing my brick layer to use this new system is there any other disadvantages to using Poroton Blocks?
 
Advantages:
Single leaf system; fast to build; easy to work with; low u-Value

Disadvantages:
Most blocklayers have never seen them before and don't know how to price the job; fear of new technology means most blocklayers won't touch them.

Thankfully: Another Advantage:
You don't need the blockie, you can do it yourself, if you are good at lifting (the blocks get heavy after a while.)
 
Have you thought about insulating them on the outside for a better effect?
 
Hi extopia,
one disadvantage you dont mention is cost, standard poroton blocks come in at 3.99yoyos each, FBT quoted me 16K for the materials alone. Touchwood is recommending YTONG a polish aircret block which I must enquire into a bit more. I could convince the blockie to work with poroton (father in law) but cost wise is it worth it, a cavity wall built using standard concrete outer leaf, kingspan or other expanded polyurethane? insulation and aircrete block internal leaf can give similar U-value but comes in at about half the price (awaiting full quote) I think what i loose is the breathability

Touchwood, while I can convince my father-in law the benefits of extra-insulation in the form of new blocks, external insulation is a whole different ball game his main arguement, is how the insulation is kept in place, plaster cracking as the insulation degenerates. I'm a bit skeptical on this issues too
 
Partial fill cavity walling (2 four inch blocks with kingspan in the middle) is actually a thing of the past because it is impossible to get it right. What brickie can guarantee you that the gap between the insulation and the inside wall in every part of your house is less that 1.5mm.
What you get is the majority of houses is Thermal Looping (airflow between the insulation and the inside wall). This cuts the insulating effect of the Kingspan by at least 50%.
You mention the the price of 16k for the Poroton (U-value of 0.27) system, thats 4,000 blocks, I think they are about €2 in Poland.
The Irish system of the 2 four inch blocks would need maybe 8,000 blocks at €0.65 per block is €5200 plus the insulation, plus the extra concrete needed for this heavier wall. You can never guarantee yourself a U-value of higher than 0.5 with this system.
 
Lets say the standard Irish system would require 4 tanks of Oil to heat every year on average because nobody can guarantee the U.value.
The Poroton system because you can guarantee the U-value should be heated with 2 tanks of oil per year.
The system I mentioned with outside breathable insulation on Poroton or Aircrete blocks giving a U-value of 0.15 would require only one tank of oil per year or less to heat your house.
 
Sorry my email is acting up can only send small emails.
The plaster doesn't crack as it is supported by fibreglass mesh and is resistant to temperature fluctuations of +- 40 degrees.
Insulation doesn't degenerate in the walls and these systems have already lasted for 40 years in Scandinavia.
 
"Sorry my email is acting up can only send small emails"

Hi Touch Wood,

Do you mean you are having a problem with either posting messages or your

Perhaps I'm taking you up wrong and you mean your e-mail totally separate from AAM.
 
Mike,

You're right - I should have flagged the cost of the poroton block. At €4 (plus VAT) it's an expensive product. However you are getting a single leaf system, and a much simpler and faster build. A Poroton blocklayer should be willing to build for far less than the standard concrete rate. Concrete blockies like to make a €1 a block if I remember correctly. You'll be dealing with half the number of blocks approximately so there's a potential saving there. You'll also save on mortar and wall ties and insulation. The recommended breathable plaster is expensive however, costs more than sand and cement so that's a negative costwise. (But a positive environmentally if you care about such issues.)

Every build is different so you have to weigh up the cost-benefit for your particular project. Remember if the blocks perform as advertised you will save a bundle on heating costs for the life of your building.

And if you choose to build yourself (take it from me - if you are anyway handy you can build yourself. I had never laid a block in my life yet I built two 2-storey extensions myself with poroton, encouraged by FBT. Wolfgang of FBT is a tremendous resource and will be with you all the way.) you will always have the satisfaction of looking at your building and saying, "Yeah, I built that!" (Priceless).
 
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