RC Concrete Block Garage

[Metung]

I am just about to have the above garage built. The external walls will be rendered. I have been told that brickwork/blockwork has a finished side and a "rough" side due to various reasons, one being the variation in brick/block dimensions. If this is the case then I am inclined to have the finished side as the internal wall of the garage and the "rough" side, being the outside, can then be rendered. Is this a reasonable approach? Thanks.

[ozwinner]

Hi
Blocks are usually all the same size seeing as how they are not baked, so no shrinkage.

Bricks shrink in the oven, so can vary upto 10mm in width. :eek:
Ive seen bricks 10mm shorter/longer than their pals too.

Your renderer will hate you with a passion if you lay the face inside the gararge.
And he will charge accordingly.


Sorry, forgot to add, the brickie will also hate you if you tell him to do this too, trust me.

Al

[bigdazza]

I am just about to have the above garage built. The external walls will be rendered. I have been told that brickwork/blockwork has a finished side and a "rough" side due to various reasons, one being the variation in brick/block dimensions. If this is the case then I am inclined to have the finished side as the internal wall of the garage and the "rough" side, being the outside, can then be rendered. Is this a reasonable approach? Thanks.

Standard blocks are 390x190x190mm. No rough side, the blocks are homogeneous. Are you talking about the split face series? Surely not.

[Luddite]

Metung,
I have worked as a brick maker for many years, and now am employed by Australia's largest block manufacturer, so I suppose I am reasonably well positioned to answer this question - probably the only time I will actually really know about my answer on this board; the rest of the time I am just pretending to know something!
The answer to your question is not all that simple. Is the garage an extension to an existing clay brick house? If so, go with brick, as you do not want textural or size variations to detract from the house.

It is not really true that clay bricks vary greatly in size, particularly extruded bricks. It is fair to say, short of some manufacturing disaster, that the brickie will be able to lay your bricks without any problem. Mortar serves to bond the bricks, but also is good for taking up minor variations in size between bricks.

WRT blocks, if the garage is a stand alone structure, then it will be very poossible to build it with block. Blocks are an excellent way to build because you will not need timber frames of the type in a veneer house (the term veneer brick is derived in that the bricks just stand there protecting the timber frames, and do not offer any real structural support). When you build from block you just bolt the roof trusses onto the block structure, and you are done. Of course, block can be rendered.

Finally, you can buy blocks in either 200, 150 or 100 wide dimensions, depending on how it is to be constructed. In far north Queensland where cyclones are a problem, the majority of housing is actually constructed in 200 series blocks with long steel rods anchoring the roof into the concrete slab.
Hope this helps, any more questions - PM me.
Anthony

[ozwinner]

It is not really true that clay bricks vary greatly in size, particularly extruded bricks.

You need to come on site my friend, and have your eyes opened.

Al

[Luddite]

Al.
Like all things there is first quality product, and rubbish sold off to the poor, unsuspecting punter who knows no difference. If your bricks have heaps of variance, then you got diddled.... sorry:eek: !!

[ozwinner]

Mate, I dont buy, I lay.
And have done for the last 30 years.
The quality has gone backwards lately.
They are all the same.
Boral, Australbrick, Whatever

And if you bake for them you should be ashamed of the crap you are pumping out, sad, but true.

If you dont beleive me, visit any site Aus wide, and find out.

Al

[Luddite]

al,
Never met a brickie who actually says the bricks are any good. Funny thing is that the brick manufacturers always stay in business. They must be doing soemthing right.

Thanks for the offer, Al, but I spend lots of time on site hearing about how bad.....the weather is.....the bricks are.....the economy is....young people are......how the water tastes funny.....how bad the bricks are....how interest rates are too high.....how bad the Wallabies are. Yep, heard it a few times now.

That's why I like being on here.....people are enjoying an activity / past time. It's a good escape from all the negativity....

All the best, Al
Anthony

[ozwinner]

So you dont care how much the bricks variey?
Typical, pump it out at any cost.

If you cared, you would listen.

Al

[Luddite]

Al,

I was trying to politely point out to you that I come here to read interesting posts about people who are actually enjoying an escape from reality.

With the greatest respect, I do not want to blue with you, or anyone else, about the size variation of a clay brick......it's incredibly boring and frankly tedious. I can do that 6am to 6 pm. So can you obviously.

How about you consider employing your 30 years experience with helping the guy who asked the question about his garage, and leave me to quietly, and peacefully read the BB.....try it......it may be therapeutic for us both.

Anthony

[ozwinner]

It is not really true that clay bricks vary greatly in size, particularly extruded bricks.

Maaaate, you started it.

Dont forget I lay everyone.
Do you check everyone?

If you did, we wouldnt be having this conversation.

Al

[Caliban]

Now Children.

[madean77]

Maaaate, you started it.

Dont forget I lay everyone.
Do you check everyone?

If you did, we wouldnt be having this conversation.

Al

Hi, I spent 2 years working for one of the big 3 block brick makers in australia, i finished up there in jan 2006. I worked the production line where quality control is done, there is such a high demand for blocks that the quality has droped beyond safe levels. The suits screamed if we didnt pump out 600 odd pallets a day, therefor supervisors have become less worried about quality and more interested in impressing their boss with numbers. THe line workers dont really care either, ive seen some new casuals just look at cracked blocks an some blocks 10mm under size due to machine fault at manufacture, they just let them go thru onto the pallet. Some blocks had way to much sand in them making them very brittle, they were sold as firsts. From what i herd when i was there there are not many complaints from the layers anymore because they are sick of complaining an now expect 2nd grade blocks. It mostly comes down to the quality control line workers being to lazy to stop the line an take off the bad blocks.

Id say about 90% of the pallets that go out are acceptable quality.

[Max Ripper]

ozwinner,
30 years hey thanks for doing it hard for all of Aus for so long


Max Ripper

[Auld Bassoon]

C'mon Al,

What do you think of that?

Looks to be quite nifty - even a Bassoon could use one. Maybe. Possibly. Aw, bugga - who wants straight walls anyway