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Since childhood, we have known that the strongest structures are stone. This is the house that lasted the longest in the tale of the three little pigs. Today it is hardly possible to find a person who would not agree to live in a warm, durable house built to last. If a brick is chosen, then it is important to know: what affects durability, what conditions must be met, and most importantly - How long will a brick house last??
About the service life of stone buildings
Each structure, built from any building material, has a certain “reserve” of longevity. This is a different period for everyone. It is clear that wooden houses may not last as long as stone ones. In addition, such types of houses (for example, frame, timber, log) are susceptible to rotting or may be damaged during a fire, which cannot be said about brick buildings. These are strong, durable and durable buildings. The last point is justified by the characteristics of the brick.
Key properties that prolong brick service life. Let's indicate them:
- Brick is made only from natural materials that have special properties. The structure is dense, which is not characterized by rotting and biological fouling;
- Fire resistance. In the event of a fire, the brick will not be damaged, the house will continue to stand;
- Weather resistant. The material tolerates constant exposure to moisture, negative temperatures and other factors;
- With additional protection of the walls, for example, finishing with siding or any other material, we can safely say that a brick house will last very long, much longer than stated in the reference books;
- Proper installation also extends the life of the house.
According to experts, on average, the durability of a brick house is stated to be 100 years. However, taking into account many factors, this period may vary. So, let's look at the main ones:
- Correct construction of the foundation. If the design is chosen correctly, with the required load-bearing capacity, then we can say that the house will last a long time. Before laying the foundation, a whole range of measures must be taken to determine the conditions under which the system will be built. If the type of foundation is not suitable for the local operating conditions, then the most negative consequences may be observed, including the collapse of the house;
- High-quality wall construction. Normal masonry should be smooth and have even layers of masonry mortar. Brick walls can serve up to 150 years;
- Window openings. Their proper arrangement is very important. Gaps must be sealed with high tightness. There must be slopes; if they are not there, the brick will begin to absorb moisture and in winter the stones will begin to burst;
- Roof. Protecting your entire home from bad weather. The service life depends on the materials chosen; choose only high-quality options. For example, ceramic tiles can last up to 100 years.
Thus, the durability of a brick house is determined by 4 factors - the foundation, walls, window openings and roof. If these building elements are made with high quality, in accordance with all building codes, then we can safely say that a brick house will last at least 150 years.
To sum it up...
Do you want to achieve exactly these results for your own home? Then it is better to entrust the construction to a professional company that has experience and special skills in this direction. You can also build it yourself, but only if you comply with all the rules and regulations can you talk about the durability of the house.
You should pay attention to expiration dates not only in grocery stores, but also when choosing housing. Knowrealty figured out how long you can live comfortably and safely in Khrushchev-era panel buildings and new brick buildings.
Our everyday experience stubbornly suggests that the service life of any thing directly depends on the intensity with which and how carefully the owner used it. The same logic is true for our houses - high-quality construction, carried out at the right time, can increase the intended service life of any building. And vice versa - if, for example, standards for the number of people who can live in a certain area are systematically violated, then the building will wear out much faster than the established deadlines. Nevertheless, the weighted average “Standard life expectancy for mass-built residential buildings” has been approved and is in force, which is worth at least getting acquainted with - especially if you are going to purchase new housing.
“Stalins”: a century and a half of guarantee
Photo: Sergey Norin
They are traditionally divided into those built in the 1930s-1940s, and post-war ones, which were built from 1945 to 1955. The service life of pre-war Stalin buildings is 125 years, post-war ones are 150 years, and according to the standards, we can begin to part with these buildings by the middle of this century. The century and a half durability of steel frames is determined by the thickness of their supporting structures - the foundation (usually a strip foundation with a monolithic fill) and walls. The “nomenklatura” Stalin buildings, built for the elite, had load-bearing structures made of more than two and a half bricks; in low-rise post-war Stalin buildings, cinder blocks were additionally used. Today, most Stalin buildings have reinforced concrete reinforced floors. All this, with proper care, provides a good supply of service life - if the building has been well looked after, its service life can extend for another 40-60 years beyond the standard. Communications in Stalin buildings are much less durable - in some places the heating, water supply and electricity supply systems still reflect the realities of the mid-twentieth century and the power provided with reserve at the time of construction is already sorely lacking.
"Khrushchev": time to the dustbin of history
Photo: Artem Svetlov
The established service life of panel Khrushchev-era buildings, massively erected in the 1950-1970s, is only 50 years and some buildings have long expired - according to standards, already in 2005. In Moscow, a program to demolish dilapidated five-story panel buildings built in 1959-1966 was launched in 2011. By the spring of 2016, more than 1,600 houses of the K-7, II-32, II-35, 1MG-300, 1605-AM series had been demolished, which in the official language of officials belong to the “first period of industrial housing construction.” As reported on the website of the Committee for Urban Planning Policy and Construction of the City of Moscow, “these houses were distinguished by thin outer walls with insufficient heat-insulating properties. The technologies used in the construction of such buildings do not allow them to be reconstructed.”
The standard service life was initially twice as long and amounted to 100 years, provided that all major repairs were carried out on time. If you decide to buy an apartment in such a building, then still find out the year it was built - it may well turn out that such a five-story building has less than ten years left to stand quietly.
Soviet panel and block high-rise buildings: without the right to reconstruction
Photo: nikolay semenov
Typical Soviet high-rise buildings with a height of 9 and 16 floors were built from panels and blocks in the 1960-1980s and today constitute the main housing stock of urban residential areas. The tragedy of the fate of these buildings is that, according to building codes, reconstruction is not provided for them and, as soon as the 100-year reserve of their standard strength expires, the houses will have to be demolished. The rapid deterioration of this housing stock, reinforced by the latest financial crises, in the next few decades may lead to the fact that Soviet individual housing of the 1950-1980s will begin to fail as en masse as it was once built. By the way, the same wear limit of 100 years will be for modern block or large-panel houses built in the 1980-1990s - they definitely will not reach the 22nd century without high-quality and.
Modern brick and monolithic houses: meeting the future in them
Photo: Andrey
Post-Soviet housing, built using monolithic housing construction technologies, is expected to have the highest service life - up to 150 years. Large-block and brick houses will last a little less - about 125 years, directly depending on how they are cared for. Plus, it is worth remembering that the most direct impact on the life expectancy of a building is the service life limits of its main structural elements, finishing and utility networks.
Hello, friends! Probably, among the people reading this article there will be those who were lucky enough to build or buy a private house, cottage or even villa. For some time now, people's desire to live in a house rather than an apartment has intensified. People are returning to the villages, although not so long ago, it would seem, entire families left them, only the oldest residents were left to live in dilapidated houses.
The massive desire of residents for dachas is also understandable. People are drawn to nature, they are tired of the polluted air of cities, they want solitude and peace. But the vast majority of Russian citizens continue to live in apartment buildings. Although today not everyone manages to have their own apartment. The housing issue, which Bulgakov’s Woland so rightly said, remains relevant.
Someone has the opportunity to purchase housing in new buildings, and this is a good purchase, because modern houses are very comfortable, with a good layout, and convenient. Of course, there is no need to compare them with the five-story buildings of Khrushchev's time. Nevertheless, panel houses remain in demand on the secondary market.
What is the reason for this demand? The main reason is cheapness. Let many houses have low ceilings, tiny kitchens, and a combined unit. However, often purchasing just such apartments is the only way to solve the housing problem. However, those who live or are just planning to buy housing in such a house are faced with an important question: the service life of a panel apartment building.
Homes don't last forever either
Quite often we don’t think about when the house was built, how long it was designed to last, what its design features and weak points are. It seems to us that we will always have the purchased housing. Nevertheless, the history of the demolition of five-story “Khrushchev” buildings in Moscow suggests that houses also have a lifespan. The time comes and it ends.
For any house, be it panel or brick, there are its own standards and GOSTs. They talk about the approximate service life. Why approximate? Because a lot depends on the operating conditions, whether or not major repairs have been carried out, the quality of the work performed, etc. Sometimes a newly built house after two or three years is far from ideal condition, but a 9-story panel house is preserved very well.
Brick, panel, monolith
Still, the material from which a house is built is important. Still, a brick and a panel house are two big differences. SNiPs contain approximate service life of buildings made of different materials. The longest service life is for permanent structures, in the construction of which stone, brick, and concrete were used. SNiPs indicate a service life of 150 years. For example, post-war Stalinist cars will last that long.
Next are ordinary houses, which are also built using brick and concrete (120 years). The panel houses we are talking about today have big differences depending on the year of construction. That is, the “Khrushchev-era buildings” built in the Soviet Union from 1950 to 1970, according to standards, can serve a person for no more than 50 years. In Moscow, these houses are being demolished, but a little further from it, they continue to stand.
Houses built in 1965–1975–1990 are called “Brezhnevka”. They were erected when the country was headed by Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev. These houses were produced in different series. At first they were 5-story panel buildings, but there was also a series of 5-story brick houses. One of the series was intended for small families.
“Brezhnevki” were not only 5-story, but also 9-story and higher - up to 16 floors. They were distinguished by an improved layout compared to the “Khrushchev” ones. They had an elevator and a garbage chute. However, the quality was not always the best. In 1979, a 15-story panel building of one of the series collapsed in Leningrad. After the tragedy, buildings in this series were no longer erected.
From the late 1990s to the present day, new monolithic panel houses have been built. They are built mainly according to individual projects and have a good layout. Although, in fairness, it must be said that less than half of panel houses are being built today. People strive to live in houses of a different - higher - level, so there are more monolithic, brick houses.
The legislative framework
When talking about the service life of buildings, we must first talk about the safety of their operation. In Russia, the service life and, accordingly, the safety of buildings are regulated by various documents. This is determined by SNiPs, GOSTs, regulations, list of national standards, etc. These documents contain approximate deadlines. But, as we said, it is difficult to determine exactly how long a house will last.
Some of the panels last 50 years, some have a lifespan of 100 years, there are buildings made of panels, and their outer walls are brick. Their term is 150 years. Much depends on the series of the house. The service life of modern panel houses is 100–120 years. Also an important factor is carrying out major repairs. It is believed that it should be done after 20–25 years of operation.
How to extend the service life
Today, many regions of Russia have targeted overhaul programs. The owners provide funds for financing. Each region has a set price for the contribution for major repairs per 1 square meter. Lists of houses in need of major repairs are offered by municipalities. Among them are many panel houses, since these houses have a lot of shortcomings that reduce their service life.
Before you make a choice and decide to buy an apartment in a panel house, find out what series the house belongs to, what year it was built, and whether major renovations have been carried out on it. By the way, the latter leads to an increase in price, however, only if the repairs were carried out comprehensively. It often happens that the roof of a house is repaired, but everything else remains untouched.
We hope that the information contained in this article was useful to you. If you have any additions or disagree with something, we will be glad to hear your opinion on the site. Leave comments, we are always ready for dialogue.
Major housing repairs in the Russian Federation will not affect all objects. The technical condition of the building and its service life are of primary importance. Against this background, in 2019 the question of the service life of residential buildings is relevant.
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The bulk of the housing stock of the Russian Federation was built in the second half of the last century. Most buildings are in dire need of major repairs.
But there are also those that will “outlive” the current new buildings. What determines the durability of buildings, and what is the service life of residential buildings in 2019?
Basic moments
The life of a residential building is limited in time and is entirely dependent on the frequency of repair work.
The renovation of an individual apartment does not in any way affect the general condition of the building. Over time, any home becomes outdated and its market value decreases.
But at the same time, the cost increases, since more and more energy resources are spent on maintaining the house due to the wear and tear of the main structures.
At some point, maintaining housing costs more than renting an apartment with good living conditions.
In order to minimize the percentage of defective residential buildings, the Government of the Russian Federation created overhaul and liquidation programs.
Regional projects provide for the resettlement of citizens from dilapidated housing. When classifying residential properties, standard deadlines according to building codes are taken into account.
Essentially, these are warranty periods during which certain structural elements must last.
For example, the heating system in a house needs to be changed after a period of use of 30-40 years. For sewerage and water supply, up to 25 years of service are provided. Wooden structures will last the same amount of time.
The standards provide for major repairs and replacement of utilities at least once every thirty years.
But it is advisable to carry out selective repair work every fifteen years. It is recommended to replace floors and non-load-bearing walls every fifty years.
But in order to accurately determine when home repairs are needed, you need to know the service life of residential buildings.
What you need to know
The term “useful life” implies a certain period of time during which a building can be used without economic damage.
To put it simply, this is the period during which the structure is guaranteed to last. The service life depends on many factors.
This is the quality of building materials, construction technology, capital of the facility, etc. As for the main parameters, the following are taken into account:
The duration of operational periods can vary from several years to decades. The average service life of a residential building is considered to be twenty-five years.
This value is due to the minimum service life of equipment and individual structures. But the technical condition of the house is still considered the fundamental criterion.
Legal regulation
The concept of service life of residential buildings is inextricably linked with the safe use of buildings.
The safety parameters of building structures in the Russian Federation are regulated by the “Technical Regulations...” introduced by decree. Compliance with the regulations “List of National Standards...” is ensured.
For example, houses built in the 70s and earlier have a minimum of comfort when compared with modern construction.
The second option of obsolescence implies the aging of its elements and their non-compliance with basic sanitary, construction and other standards. Reconstruction or modernization of the building can solve the problem.
