Ytong or brick (Porotherm)? A 2026 comparison for building a house

Ytong (autoclaved aerated concrete) and ceramic brick (Porotherm, Heluz) are the two most common materials for masonry family houses in Czechia, and both make a good house. Ytong is lighter, more precise and easier to work; brick is heavier, stronger and better at blocking noise. The choice affects the house price less than most builders expect: in 2026 a shell costs CZK 15,000 – 20,000 per m² open and CZK 18,000 – 24,000 per m² closed on the market, whatever the block brand. Far more money depends on whether you build a single-layer wall without insulation or a thinner wall with external insulation.

This article compares only these two materials in depth — properties, wall build-ups, construction details, price and common mistakes. A broader comparison with timber frame and insulated formwork is in what to build a house from.

Quick comparison

Property	Ytong (aerated concrete)	Ceramic brick
Weight	light, easy to handle	heavier, stores more heat
Thermal insulation of the masonry itself	very good with thick blocks	very good with ground bricks filled with insulation
Acoustics	weaker; use heavier blocks at bedrooms and party walls	better thanks to higher mass
Fixing heavy loads	special plugs or chemical anchors	perforated bricks also need special plugs
Workability	cut with a hand saw, chases are easy to mill	cut with a table saw, trimming takes more work
Laying accuracy	thin-bed adhesive, very straight walls	ground bricks on thin joints or foam, also straight
Water uptake during construction	higher, protect the walls from rain	lower, dries faster
Typical use	fast builds, self-build, single-layer walls	heavy "traditional" house, better acoustics, higher loads

Thermal insulation: the specific block matters, not the brand

Both materials come in a range of thicknesses and grades. Thick aerated concrete blocks and ground bricks filled with mineral wool or perlite reach values that let the wall meet requirements without external insulation. Thinner, cheaper blocks of both materials need insulation. When comparing quotes, always compare the thermal transmittance of the whole wall (U-value) from the data sheet or the design, not the name of the material.

In practice there are two routes:

• Single-layer wall — a thick insulating block and just render. Fewer layers and fewer details where mistakes can happen, but more expensive blocks and a thicker wall.
• Masonry with insulation — a thinner load-bearing wall plus an external insulation system. EPS insulation costs CZK 1,500 – 2,200 per m² of facade including render according to the price list, mineral wool CZK 2,200 – 2,800 per m². The benefit is a thinner wall, so more floor area on the same footprint.

Which route is cheaper only a budget for the actual design will show: take the price of the more expensive single-layer block, subtract the price of the thinner masonry and compare the difference with the cost of insulation. Insulation systems are covered in detail in facade insulation: EPS or mineral wool.

Acoustics, strength and fixings

Here brick has the edge. Higher mass means better sound insulation — you notice the difference mainly in partitions between a bedroom and a bathroom or in the party wall of a semi-detached house. In a Ytong house, heavier acoustic (calcium silicate) blocks or a lining wall are used between noisy and quiet rooms.

Both materials are more than strong enough for a normal family house; what a wall can carry and how floors bear on it is decided by the structural engineer. The difference is in fixings: heavy cabinets, a boiler or a wall-hung WC are fixed into aerated concrete with special plugs or chemical anchors, and the same goes for perforated brick — an ordinary plug for solid material holds poorly in both. Mark the places for heavy loads in the design in advance.

Construction details that affect quality and price

Ring beams and lintels

Above windows and doors there must be lintels from the same system, and at floor level a reinforced ring beam. A concrete ring beam is a thermal bridge, so in the external wall it is closed on the outside with a special block or insulation. If the quote does not mention ring beams and their insulation, ask.

Services and chases

Chases are milled cleanly and easily in Ytong, with more effort in brick. According to the price list, cutting chases for electrics and water costs CZK 120 – 250 per running metre. In single-layer walls chases must not weaken the insulating ability of the wall, so plan routes on external walls carefully.

Plaster

Aerated concrete and brick both need system plasters with suitable vapour permeability. Internal lime-gypsum plaster 12 mm thick comes to CZK 280 – 620 per m² including material according to the price list. Aerated concrete is plastered in a thinner coat because the masonry is straighter.

Protection during construction

Aerated concrete absorbs more water. Cover the shell, protect the wall heads from rain and expect the house to keep drying out during the first heating season. Brick dries faster, but do not leave it open over winter either.

Internal partitions

Partitions need not match the external walls. Thin blocks of the same system are common; between a bedroom and a bathroom a heavier acoustic block is worth it. A new Ytong or brick partition including plaster costs CZK 1,300 – 2,200 per m² according to the price list, a 100 mm plasterboard partition CZK 750 – 1,600 per m². Plasterboard is lighter and faster, but heavy cabinets and a boiler need reinforcement built in during installation.

What a Ytong house and a brick house cost

Price-list rates for the shell are not split by masonry brand — the difference between Ytong and brick disappears within a range driven mainly by the shape of the house, the roof and the foundations.

Item (excl. VAT)	Market	Our price
Open shell	CZK 15,000 – 20,000 per m²	from CZK 14,000 per m²
Closed shell	CZK 18,000 – 24,000 per m²	from CZK 17,000 per m²
Turnkey house, standard	CZK 35,000 – 45,000 per m²	from CZK 31,000 per m²
Partition wall (Ytong/brick) incl. plaster	CZK 1,300 – 2,200 per m²	—
Bricklayer, hourly rate	CZK 350 – 550 per hour	—

Prices per m² of usable floor area, for Prague and surroundings, based on our 2026 construction price list.

Example: where the difference arises for a 120 m² house

A closed shell for a house with 120 m² of usable floor area costs CZK 2.16 – 2.88 million on the market. External and internal masonry are only part of that sum — the rest is foundations, floors, roof, windows and labour. So the difference between Ytong and brick of the same thermal quality is usually small compared with the whole shell. Much more money is moved by:

• the choice between a single-layer wall and masonry with insulation — for a 200 m² facade, EPS insulation alone costs CZK 300,000 – 440,000,
• how complex the footprint and roof are,
• the size and quality of the windows.

How the shell price breaks down item by item is shown in house shell: cost.

Living in the house: the difference years later

Once finished and dried out, houses made of either material behave very similarly. Both walls are vapour-permeable and non-combustible, and with the right plaster they create a healthy indoor climate. A heavier brick house reacts more slowly to temperature changes — it holds warmth longer in winter and coolness in summer. A lighter aerated concrete house heats up faster but also cools down faster.

What to choose for your type of house

Situation	Recommendation	Why
Bungalow with a simple footprint	either material, often Ytong	fast build, straight walls, single-layer wall without insulation
Two-storey house with longer floor spans	brick or Ytong as the engineer decides	load capacity and floor bearing are assessed by the engineer
Semi-detached or terraced house	brick, or acoustic blocks in the party wall	sound insulation between neighbours
House next to a busy road	brick, possibly mineral wool insulation	higher mass blocks noise better
Some of the work done yourself	Ytong	easy cutting, chasing and corrections
Thinnest possible external wall	thinner masonry plus insulation	more floor area on the same footprint

How to decide, step by step

1. Set the target thermal quality of the wall with your designer — the block thickness and type follow from it.
2. Decide between a single-layer and an insulated wall — compare the difference in masonry price with the cost of insulation.
3. Consider acoustics — a semi-detached house, a bedroom facing the street or a home office point to brick or heavy partitions.
4. Have the structure assessed — floor spans and loads are handled by the engineer for both materials.
5. Think about self-build — if you will do part of the work yourself, Ytong is easier to cut and chase.
6. Get both variants priced by the same company for the same design so the quotes are comparable.

Common mistakes

• Comparing by material name instead of by the U-value of the whole wall.
• Mixing systems — blocks from one maker, adhesive or lintels from another. Accuracy and the system warranty are lost.
• An uninsulated ring beam in the external wall — a thermal bridge and mould in the corner by the ceiling.
• Aerated concrete left unprotected over winter — it soaks up water and the house takes long to dry.
• Ordinary plugs for a kitchen unit or a boiler — both materials need fixings designed for that type of masonry.
• The wrong plaster — plaster that is too stiff or not vapour-permeable enough cracks on aerated concrete.

Checklist before you sign

• Does the quote state the exact block type and thickness and the U-value of the wall?
• Are lintels, ring beams and adhesive from the same system?
• Is the insulation of ring beams and window reveals described?
• Does the quote include insulation, or is it a single-layer wall?
• Are chases and penetrations for services in the budget?
• Is protection of the shell against rain and frost covered?
• Are the places for heavy loads marked in the design?

FAQ

Which is cheaper, Ytong or brick? For walls of the same thermal quality the difference is usually small compared with the price of the whole shell. That costs CZK 15,000 – 20,000 per m² open and CZK 18,000 – 24,000 per m² closed on the market, whatever the masonry brand.

Which is better for acoustics? Brick, because it is heavier. In a Ytong house, heavier acoustic blocks or lining walls are used between noisy and quiet rooms.

Does a Ytong house need insulation? It depends on the block thickness and type. Thick blocks meet requirements without insulation, thinner ones need it — just like brick. The U-value of the whole wall decides.

Which builds faster? Ytong is easier to cut and bond, so it suits self-builders better. For an experienced crew the difference in laying speed is small.

Is Porotherm the same as brick? Porotherm, like Heluz, is a brand of ceramic brick; Ytong is a brand of aerated concrete. Comparing Ytong vs Porotherm therefore means comparing aerated concrete with ceramic brick.

We build with aerated concrete, brick and VELOX in Prague and Central Bohemia. Switch the wall material in our online calculator to see a guide price; we prepare an itemised budget of both variants free of charge.