Load-bearing walls and partitions: materials and masonry in Batumi
Load-bearing walls and infill walls in a frame are built differently: the first carry floors and seismic loads, the second only heat and sound. We build external walls in Batumi of aerated concrete, clay block or brick, tie them to the columns with anchors and place cast-in-place lintels over openings. 30 cm aerated concrete with materials costs from 145 ₾ per m².
from 145 ₾/m²30 cm aerated concrete with adhesive, joint reinforcement and anchors; lintels extra. The final price is confirmed once agreed.
- Timeline: walls and partitions of a two-storey 150 m² house usually take 4–7 weeks once the frame is ready
- Warranty: Our work on walls and partitions has a 2-year warranty
Who it’s for
You are choosing the external wall material for a house by the sea
You are building a house without a frame and want to know where a window can go
The frame is up and you need a contractor for walls and partitions
You want quiet bedrooms and are deciding what to build partitions from
The design is changing and you need to know which wall can be moved
What’s included
- setting out walls and openings from the design
- external walls laid in adhesive or mortar
- joint reinforcement and anchoring to the columns
- a gap with flexible filler under the beam
- cast-in-place lintels over openings
- building or installing internal partitions
- checks of plumb and flatness course by course
Load-bearing walls and infill walls
In a house with a cast-in-place concrete frame the weight of the floors and roof is carried by the columns and beams, and the walls between them only fill the openings and keep in heat and sound. In a house without a frame it is the other way round: the walls themselves carry the floors and work in an earthquake. Everything depends on this: thickness, material, where a window can be cut and what can be removed in a later remodelling. So in the design every wall is marked, and that is how we build it on site.
Load-bearing block walls in a seismic area always come with ring beams at the top of each storey and vertical concrete cores at corners and openings, to the engineer's calculation. How they are reinforced is set out on the page about reinforcement and seismic ring beams.
What we build external walls from by the sea
| Material | Advantages | What to bear in mind in Batumi |
|---|---|---|
| Aerated concrete | Light, warm, quick to lay in thin-bed adhesive | Needs protection from wind-driven rain outside and a vapour barrier in bathrooms inside |
| Clay block | Warm, copes with moisture better than aerated concrete | Brittle, needs careful cutting and special fixings |
| Brick | Strong, holds fixings well | Heavy and cold, insulation is essential |
| Cast-in-place concrete | A shear wall or retaining wall | Expensive, needs insulation outside |
How aerated concrete compares with brick on warmth, weight and price is covered in the aerated concrete vs brick comparison, and the material itself has its own page about aerated concrete houses. We set the thickness of the external wall together with the facade insulation from a thermal calculation.
How an infill wall works with the frame
In an earthquake the wall between the columns tries to fall out of the frame. To stop that, the masonry is tied to the columns with anchors or starter bars every few courses, as the engineer specifies, and the joints are reinforced with mesh or bars. The top course under a beam or slab is not packed tight with mortar: we leave a gap with a flexible filler, otherwise the deflection of the slab bears on the wall and it cracks.
Openings and lintels
Over every window and door in the masonry we place a cast-in-place lintel bearing on the wall on both sides or tied into the ring beam. The bearing length and reinforcement come from the design. A wide opening, such as a terrace door, in a load-bearing wall needs a concrete surround, and that cannot be improvised on site. If you want to change a window size after the design is approved, the question goes to the engineer, not to the site foreman.
Internal partitions
Partitions between rooms are built of 10–15 cm aerated concrete or assembled on a plasterboard stud frame. A masonry partition holds sound and wall cupboards better; a stud partition is lighter and quicker. Between bedrooms and next to bathrooms we recommend masonry or a stud wall with double boarding and mineral wool. Heavy partitions on a slab are taken into account by the engineer, so their positions are fixed in the design, not moved on site.
How much walls cost
A 30 cm aerated concrete external wall with materials costs from 145 ₾ per m², large-format clay block from 210 ₾ per m², brick from 240 ₾ per m². A cast-in-place concrete wall is from 1,260 ₾ per m³, aerated concrete partitions from 76 ₾ per m², a cast-in-place lintel from 100 ₾ per linear metre. Insulation and facade finishes are priced separately. The final cost is set from the design and the wall schedule, after agreement on the estimate.
Stages and timelines
-
Setting out
1–2 days
We set out the walls and openings from the columns and check the slab levels.
-
First course
1–2 days
Damp-proof course, first course in mortar laid strictly level.
-
Masonry
1–3 weeks
Courses in adhesive, joint reinforcement, anchors to the columns at the set spacing.
-
Lintels
3–5 days
Formwork and reinforcement for the lintels over openings, concreting.
-
Top course
1–2 days
Gap under the beam with flexible filler, flatness check.
-
Partitions
1–2 weeks
Masonry or stud partitions after the walls, with a gap below the slab.
Local specifics in Batumi
Wind-driven rain from the sea hits an external wall for months, and unprotected aerated concrete takes up moisture several centimetres deep. So we do not leave the masonry exposed over winter: the wall is closed with the facade or at least with sheeting, and blocks on site are stored under cover on pallets.
In summer heat aerated concrete and clay block are dampened before laying, otherwise a dry block draws water out of the adhesive and the joint does not reach its strength. In the Adjara mountains cold comes into it too: we do not lay masonry in mortar in frost, and external walls are designed thicker because of the heating season.
Materials and brands
Autoclaved aerated concrete blocks, made in Georgia, with density class and thickness from the design. Perforated clay blocks and bricks are ordered from suppliers to the design. Blocks are laid in thin-bed adhesive, bricks in cement mortar. Joints are reinforced with mesh or bars, and the masonry is tied to the columns with galvanised anchors, stainless steel ones by the sea.
What makes up the cost
Timeline: walls and partitions of a two-storey 150 m² house usually take 4–7 weeks once the frame is ready
- wall thickness from the thermal calculation
What raises the cost
- brick or clay block instead of aerated concrete
- many openings, large terrace doors and bays
- load-bearing walls with ring beams and cores
- carrying blocks up to high floors without a crane
What lowers the cost
- simple straight walls between columns
- stud partitions instead of masonry
We prepare the exact estimate from measurements and photos. It’s free and comes with no obligation.
Get an estimateGuarantees
Our work on walls and partitions has a 2-year warranty. Photos of anchors and joint reinforcement before they are covered go into the handover file. Wiring and pipes we later lay in the walls have a 5-year warranty.
Questions and answers
How much does wall masonry for a house in Batumi cost?
A 30 cm aerated concrete external wall with materials is from 145 ₾ per m², clay block from 210 ₾, brick from 240 ₾. Aerated concrete partitions are from 76 ₾ per m², lintels from 100 ₾ per linear metre. Facade insulation and finishes are extra. The final cost is set from the wall schedule in the design, after agreement on the estimate.
How do I know whether a wall is load-bearing?
From the design: the structural section shows load-bearing walls and shear walls separately. If there is no design, an engineer decides on site from how the floors bear, the thickness and the reinforcement. In a framed house most walls are not load-bearing, but some can be shear walls, and those must not be touched.
How thick should aerated concrete external walls be in Batumi?
We set the thickness together with the facade insulation from a thermal calculation. In a framed house by the sea a 25–30 cm block with thin insulation or insulating render is often enough; in the mountains walls are thicker. Block thickness alone does not decide it: what matters are the thermal bridges at columns and slabs, which are covered with insulation.
What are the best partitions between bedrooms?
For quiet, masonry or a stud wall with double plasterboard and mineral wool inside. A thin 10 cm aerated concrete partition holds sound worse than you might expect. Most important are the gaps at the floor, ceiling and sockets: sound goes round the wall through them.
Can a wall be removed after the house is built?
A partition usually can; a load-bearing wall or shear wall only to the engineer's calculation and with a permit if one is required. In a seismic area removing a shear wall weakens the whole house. So the layout is best settled finally at the design stage.
Related services
Further reading
Send us the house plan: we will price the walls and partitions in 24 hours
We reply within an hour during business hours. Message us or leave a request: we’ll call you back, go over the details and suggest the next step.
Mon–Fri 10:00–19:00, Sat 11:00–16:00