Aircrete: Self-Builder’s Guide to Ireland’s Best Thermal Block

Published: 26 Feb 2021.

Aircrete: Self-Builder’s Guide to Ireland’s Best Thermal Block

Building with Mannok Aircrete Thermal Blocks in the walls of your self-build offers a simple and effective solution to combat the two biggest sources of heat loss from your home. With up to 35% of heat lost through the walls and potentially another 35% lost through thermal bridging, Aircrete can help ensure an energy efficient, well insulated home with that added comfort factor.

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Why build with Aircrete?

Insulates 10x better than standard dense concrete blocks

Aircrete blocks have superb insulation properties. During the manufacturing process a chemical reaction between a number of the ingredients gives off a gas which fills the blocks with millions of tiny air pockets, giving the blocks their excellent thermal performance and lightweight properties, without compromising their strength.

Reduces heat loss through thermal bridging by up to 80%

A thermal bridge, also called a cold bridge, is an area or component of the building which has poorer thermal performance than the surrounding materials, creating a path of least resistance for the heat to escape.

Thermal bridging occurs throughout the house at all junctions where the fabric insulation is not continuous, for example at the floor to wall junction, the wall to roof junction, around all windows and doors etc. Heat loss through these junctions can account for up to 35% of heat loss. The use of Aircrete blocks at these junctions reduces heat loss by thermal bridging by up to 80%, potentially reducing the overall heat loss from the home by 28%, giving a significant saving in energy bills for the lifetime of the building.

Improves the overall thermal performance of the wall, achieving a better U-value

A U-value measures the rate of heat loss through a building element. The better insulated the building is, the lower the U-value will be. For self-builders, achieving a low U-value for your walls will give a better insulated, warmer home. Thanks to their insulating properties, our Aircrete blocks can help achieve an excellent U-value. The thermal performance of a material is measured as thermal conductivity. The thermal conductivity of Mannok Aircrete blocks range between 0.12W/mK and 0.19W/mK, depending on strength chosen. To compare, a dense concrete block has a thermal conductivity of 1.33W/mK. Therefore, Aircrete blocks are up to 10 times more insulating than a dense concrete block, making lower U-values easier to achieve.

Helps eliminate the risk of unsightly and unhealthy mould growth.

Poorly insulated homes with little or no consideration for thermal bridging can give rise to mould growth on the inside surface of the building envelope. Low surface temperature and inadequate ventilation can result in water vapour condensing on the cold surface forming water droplets and eventually mould growth, which is extremely unsightly but more importantly, very unhealthy. This typically occurs at junctions in the building fabric where thermal bridging is not properly addressed. The thermal bridge leads to a lower surface temperature at this location and consequently condensation. The use of Mannok Aircrete blocks will address the thermal bridge, increase the surface temperature, and eliminate the risk of condensation and mould growth.

Faster heating response

Thanks to their insulating properties, Aircrete blocks absorb heat from the room at a slower rate than denser materials so when the heating is switched on, the home will reach the desired temperature quicker than if the walls were built with heavier concrete blocks.

Despite their insulating properties the blocks do have adequate thermal mass to absorb and store ambient heat from the sun, helping to regulate room temperature and reduce energy bills.

A more sustainable solution which delivers a more energy efficient home and reduced heating bills

Aircrete blocks are a sustainable building solution not only because of their high level of energy efficiency, but also because they are manufactured using up to 80% recycled materials.

The raw materials used to manufacture Aircrete blocks are locally and responsibly sourced and the blocks are manufactured using 100% green electricity. Aircrete blocks have an A+ Green guide rating, meaning that you can be sure that the blocks will have the best environmental performance and the least environmental impact. The blocks are one of the very first products in Ireland to have third party verified, Environmental Product Declarations published by the Irish Green Building Council.

The improvements to the energy efficiency of the home result in lower carbon emission and lower energy costs for the homeowner.

Overall Aircrete is Ireland’s best performing block for combined thermal, comfort and structural performance.

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SIMS and Aircrete cavity walls

The two construction methods which use Aircrete effectively in your self-build home are SIMS by Mannok and Aircrete Cavity Walls.

SIMS by Mannok

SIMS by Mannok is a premium construction solution using established methodology which is the construction method of choice in many European countries, including Germany, Poland and Italy. Its adoption is on the rise in Ireland thanks to the many advantages it offers and it’s positioned to become a widely used construction solution here in the near future.

SIMS is a modern method of masonry construction which consists of a single leaf of 215mm wide Aircrete blocks externally finished with an approved external insulation system.

Despite the lightweight properties of the Aircrete blocks, they are equal in strength to a typical dense concrete block. In fact, when built using thin joint mortar, the SIMS method is almost three times stronger than traditional cavity wall construction.

The finished building has a lower energy consumption with lower carbon emissions, resulting in less environmental impact and a more sustainable build. Regulatory standards such as nZEB or Passive House are easily achievable.

SIMS by Mannok is a unique offering which ultimately delivers an end product which is a step above the major alternatives on the market in terms of thermal, structural and fire performance.

Aircrete Cavity Walls

The other option is to use Mannok Aircrete blocks in the inner leaf of a traditional cavity wall construction, simply replacing the dense block. This will deliver many of the benefits of SIMS at a much-reduced cost.

In Ireland, Aircrete blocks are most often used in the floor to wall junction to address this thermal bridge. However, to properly address thermal bridging throughout the house, there are typically 7 – 8 other junctions where Aircrete should be used. Using the Aircrete blocks in all these junction will address the thermal bridging and eliminate mould growth but can result in a patchwork effect when mixing and matching different types of blocks. It can also make life more difficult for the blocklayer and could potentially result in differential movement between different block types which needs to be addressed prior to plastering.

The obvious solution is to build the entire inner leaf of the cavity wall with Aircrete blocks. This simple switch effectively addresses all thermal bridges by default, improves the overall U-values of the wall, and eliminates any issues with the builder or plasterer.

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Building with Aircrete gives you much more

When building either SIMS or Aircrete cavity walls, you can avail of our tailored Self Build with Mannok packages, available exclusively to Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland customers. The package includes:

Unique sustainable building solutions

Your options for unique sustainable building solutions are SIMS by Mannok and Aircrete cavity walls. Both methodologies utilise Aircrete blocks and offer the benefits of reduced carbon emissions and better energy performance. Our self-build experts are on hand to answer your queries on either build method to help make an informed choice about which will suit your needs and your budget best.

Product Bundles*

At Mannok, we offer a diverse portfolio of premium building materials that are essential to any self-build project. We’ll help you tailor a bespoke package to suit your home, with the range of product choices including:

  • Aircrete thermal blocks – built using either the SIMS or the Aircrete Cavity Walls methodology
  • PIR insulation – floor, wall and roof Insulation
  • Roof tiles – available in a broad portfolio of colours and textures to complement the design of your home’s exterior
  • Precast – flooring, stairs and landings, balconies and terraces

Product Discounts

With a Self Build with Mannok package, you can avail of our exclusive 10% discount on a number of our product ranges:

  • Aircrete thermal blocks
  • Precast flooring, stairs, balconies & terraces
  • Entire roof tiles range

Expert Technical Support

Our team of technical experts here to help self-builders, working with you and your architect to elevate your home’s performance to achieve a more energy efficient, better insulated, more sustainable and ultimately more comfortable home. The premium technical bundle included with a Self Build with Mannok package includes;

  • Pre-design consultation
  • Bespoke product specifications
  • Thermal modelling & thermal bridging factor calculations
  • U-value calculations
  • Precast bespoke design service
  • Product volume estimates
  • On-site support services
  • Precast installation

Dedicated Account Manager

One of the key benefits of a Self-Build with Mannok package is the added service of a Dedicated Account Manager to ensure your bespoke package perfectly suits your home and makes the process simple and smooth for you.

The first step is to have a call with your local Rep to discuss the construction options and how we can help with your self-build home.

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*All products are subject to availability


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