Bricks, AAC blocks and concrete blocks for building: how to buy well
Choose the material for the walls you are building
Red clay brick is strong and long-lasting, facing brick gives a facade its look, and fly ash brick is cheaper but dislikes constant damp. Autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC) blocks are light, quick to build with and thermally efficient. Foam concrete blocks serve a similar purpose to AAC, but their structure is different. For the load-bearing walls of a small house people more often take AAC of D400–D500 density or brick, while lighter blocks suit partitions.
Ask separately about the strength grade, especially if the walls will not be plastered or the material will lie in the open air.
How ordering through BlaBlaPrice works
There are many depots, and prices for the same blocks differ, especially when delivery with a crane is added to the estimate. So you write one request, and building material suppliers in your region reply in the chat with a price, terms and delivery. Each one sees where its offer ranks, so it improves its terms to win your request. It is free for the buyer, and contacts are opened only to the one you choose. Details: how it works.
What to put in your request
- Material — brick (red, facing, fly ash), AAC block, foam block, concrete block.
- Grade — D400/D500 density, strength, brick grade.
- Size — for example, a block of 600×300×200 mm.
- Quantity — m³, pieces or pallets.
- Manufacturer, if you have a preference.
- Delivery address and the way of unloading: by hand, truck-mounted crane, crane.
- Timing and budget.
Example: “I need 20 m³ of D500 AAC blocks, 600×300×200 mm, from any reliable maker. Delivery to Manila, with unloading by truck-mounted crane, supply next week.”
How to compare offers
First bring the prices to one unit. AAC is sold both per piece and per m³, bricks per piece or per thousand, and a pallet holds a different number. Then check the grade and the manufacturer: the same name does not guarantee the same material. Ask about the test certificate and about breakage: broken bricks or chipped corners on a pallet are not unusual.
Delivery can be a large share of the cost, so find out whether unloading is priced in, and whether pallets are returned (a pallet is sometimes charged as a deposit). Check that a truck with a crane can reach the plot: the width of the access, the slope, overhead wires.
Common mistakes
- Counting the quantity with no margin: blocks from different batches can have different sizes or colour.
- Buying “from the depot” without checking how it was stored: soaked pallets lose quality.
- Forgetting the adhesive or mortar for laying and the reinforcement.
- Not agreeing on which day it will come and who unloads.
For reinforcing the masonry, look at steel products and rebar, and for insulation or finishing at finishing and cladding materials. The general section is “Building & renovation”.
