Years ago, people in the Philippines preferred to use concrete hollow blocks instead of traditional bricks. They thought that the former is much better than bricks.
Now, Filipinos can find more alternatives to traditional construction materials. One of them is Liteblocks. Liteblock price is affordable.
In addition, Liteblocks are one of the best alternative materials for concrete hollow blocks.
This material offers more advantages than hollow blocks. Therefore, it can be your best choice for walling material.
Contents
What is Liteblock
Many of you may never hear of Liteblocks before. It is understandable because this material is quite new in the Philippines.
Liteblock was first available in the early 2010s.
What is Liteblock?
It is a lightweight prefabricated construction material for partitions and walls. The shape of this material has some similarities with the hollow block shape.
However, the Liteblock price and weight are different from those of hollow blocks.
Liteblock Compositions
What is Liteblock made of? The Liteblock manufacturer creates this construction material from sand and cement mortar infused with micro air bubbles and reinforced with tension fibers. Therefore, it is lighter than the hollow block.
Liteblock Shape
This construction material has a rectangular shape similar to hollow blocks. However, the Liteblock size is slightly different from the latter. In addition, you can request customized Liteblock sizes to meet your construction needs.
Liteblocks also have holes in them. However, these holes are smaller than the holes of the hollow blocks. They are only fit for rebars.
Liteblock Installation at a Glance
Installing Liteblocks is quick and easy because they are lightweight and prefabricated. You only need to create support from erected rebars before installing Liteblocks.
After that add cement and mortar mix at the bottom. Next, insert the Liteblocks through the rebars.
After that, add the cement mix on top of them and insert the next Liteblocks. Repeat the steps until you have a wall at your desired height. Don’t forget to apply plaster on the Liteblock wall and paint the wall after that.
Uses of Liteblock
Liteblocks are best for building exterior and interior walls. Some Filipinos may have some concerns regarding the safety of installing Liteblock exterior walls.
However, you don’t need to worry about it because it is safe to install these blocks as exterior walls, especially if you install them properly.
For an accurate calculation about installing Liteblock exterior walls, you can ask structural computation from the seller or the manufacturer. The seller/manufacturer will be happy to provide you with it.
In general, the manufacturer will recommend installers apply a 15-mm thick mortar rendering on both sides of the Liteblock exterior wall to protect them from weather elements.
Meanwhile, for the indoor Liteblock wall installation, installers only need to apply an 8-mm thick mortar rendering.
Liteblock Specification
Liteblock has better specifications than traditional hollow blocks. The specifications of a 4-inch Liteblock are as follows.
- Liteblock size: 0.09 x 0.49 x 0.3 m
- Weight per piece: approximately 12 kg
- Compressive strength: 400 – 500 psi
- Sound insulation: STC -52DB
- Fire resistance: approximately 4 hours fire rating
- Water absorption: low water absorption
- Dry density: 1000/m3
Liteblock Price List
The Liteblock price per piece in the Philippines is slightly higher than the price of hollow blocks.
However, when you calculate and compare the installation costs of each material, you will find out that the cost of installing a Liteblock wall is lower than installing a hollow-block wall.
So, how much is the Liteblock price in this country? The price of Liteblock in one city may be different from that in another city due to shipping costs.
For example, Liteblock Davao price is different from Liteblock Manila price. Below is the estimated price.
| Product | Price/Piece | Price/m2 |
| 4” (0.09 m) Liteblock | ₱100 | ₱800 |
| 6” (0.13m) Liteblock | ₱150 | ₱1,200 |
Liteblock Advantage
As a modern alternative to traditional hollow blocks, Liteblock offers more advantages to its users.
- Lighter
Liteblocks are much lighter than hollow blocks. The weight of a Liteblock is only half the latter. Therefore, it is easier to transport. Moreover, it doesn’t take much labor to transport and install Liteblocks.
- Easy and Quick to Install
The design and the weight of the Liteblock make this material easy and quick to install. Experts said that you can install a Liteblock wall much faster than installing a hollow-block wall.
- Fire Resistant
Liteblocks are resistant to fire. It takes approximately four to five hours for the fire to ignite a Liteblock wall. Therefore, having Liteblock walls will lower the risk of fire damage.
- Low-Cost Installation
Installing Liteblock walls requires less cement and sand compared to installing hollow-block constructions. Moreover, it also requires less manpower. Therefore, the installation cost of Liteblock walls is more affordable than that of hollow-block walls.
- Suitable for Wet and Dry Areas
Liteblocks are suitable for constructions located in wet and dry areas. Their ability to absorb water is relatively low. In addition, plastering and paint application can make this material more resistant to moisture. Therefore, it is okay to use Liteblocks for construction in wet areas.
Liteblock Disadvantage
The disadvantage of Liteblock is its compression strength level is slightly lower than other lightweight concrete blocks. Therefore, it may not be suitable for level-4 earthquake-prone areas.
FAQ
Is Liteblock Better than Hollow Block?
Yes, it is. In terms of cost, installation, and weight, Liteblock is better than hollow blocks.
The Liteblock price per piece may not be as affordable as the price of the concrete hollow block.
However, the installation cost of Liteblock construction is much more affordable than that of hollow-block construction.
Moreover, this construction material offers more advantages for its users.
References : liteblock.ph