I've had delivered some 7N and 3.5N blocks (manufacturer Masterblock),
and I've noticed they are all about 5mm smaller than the standard size
440 x 215 (they seem pretty much 100mm wide though). This will not
matter for the work I intend to do with these, and its a small
difference, and I'm sure they would laugh at the builder's merchant if
I complained.
But with the accuracy of the bricks you get these days I was
surprised. If the thermalite blocks I will use for the main extension
walls turn out to be undersize, that will be a pain, since you kind of
expect an accurate 10mm joint will get bricks and blocks to line up.
I've used bricks before, but not really used blocks for anything. Is
this often the case with blocks ?
Simon.

sm_jamieson wrote:
I've had delivered some 7N and 3.5N blocks (manufacturer Masterblock),
and I've noticed they are all about 5mm smaller than the standard size
440 x 215 (they seem pretty much 100mm wide though). This will not
matter for the work I intend to do with these, and its a small
difference, and I'm sure they would laugh at the builder's merchant if
I complained.
But with the accuracy of the bricks you get these days I was
surprised. If the thermalite blocks I will use for the main extension
walls turn out to be undersize, that will be a pain, since you kind of
expect an accurate 10mm joint will get bricks and blocks to line up.
I've used bricks before, but not really used blocks for anything. Is
this often the case with blocks ?
Simon.

The joints in blockwork can range from 3mm to 50mm(!), both horizontally and
diagonally...although it is irrelevant anyway as there isn't anywhere where
it will actually matter whether they line up exactly:

1) Brick ties will bend upwards or downwards, and indeed they are made for
this, which is why galvanised ones are now banned.

2) At any openings, the blockwork can be easily cut down or packed up.

.....on a slightly related note WRT sizes, I recently had the misfortune to
lay 225 600mmX600mm flags (paving slabs to southerners) on a patio, drive
and front garden - pretty much encapsulating the full house, except none of
them were 600 X 600 - the majority were 595 X 597, and some were only 593 X
600....needless to say I was thoroughly ****ed off about this as when I lay
flags, you cannot get a cigarette paper between the joints, whereas in this
case, there were 5mm joints on some of them and even 8mm joints here and
there.

The flags were made by RPC {1} and I will never use them again, Marshalls
may be slightly more expensive, but at least they are square.

{1}
two different batches from different builders merchant's, so they weren't
seconds or a 'bad batch'.

On 30 May, 14:33, "Phil L" wrote:
sm_jamieson wrote:
I've had delivered some 7N and 3.5N blocks (manufacturer Masterblock),
and I've noticed they are all about 5mm smaller than the standard size
440 x 215 (they seem pretty much 100mm wide though). This will not
matter for the work I intend to do with these, and its a small
difference, and I'm sure they would laugh at the builder's merchant if
I complained.
But with the accuracy of the bricks you get these days I was
surprised. If the thermalite blocks I will use for the main extension
walls turn out to be undersize, that will be a pain, since you kind of
expect an accurate 10mm joint will get bricks and blocks to line up.
I've used bricks before, but not really used blocks for anything. Is
this often the case with blocks ?
Simon.

The joints in blockwork can range from 3mm to 50mm(!), both horizontally and
diagonally...although it is irrelevant anyway as there isn't anywhere where
it will actually matter whether they line up exactly:

1) Brick ties will bend upwards or downwards, and indeed they are made for
this, which is why galvanised ones are now banned.

2) At any openings, the blockwork can be easily cut down or packed up.

Yes, but this is a pain and would make internal exposed blockwork look
ugly (e.g. you can get specially smooth blocks to take paint
directly). A block should be the same height as a brick turned on it's
end - in fact vertical bricks are often used instead of cutting a
block. If not, why bother notionally making bricks and blocks fit with
a standard 10mm spacing. I'll obviously not fuss about this since I
need to get building, but it's something I will bear in mind in the
future !

I'm sure celcon are accurately sized (they are wire-cut), but I will
check up on this. I could have been sold rejects - how would I know ?

....on a slightly related note WRT sizes, I recently had the misfortune to
lay 225 600mmX600mm flags (paving slabs to southerners) on a patio, drive
and front garden - pretty much encapsulating the full house, except none of
them were 600 X 600 - the majority were 595 X 597, and some were only 593 X
600....needless to say I was thoroughly ****ed off about this as when I lay
flags, you cannot get a cigarette paper between the joints, whereas in this
case, there were 5mm joints on some of them and even 8mm joints here and
there.

The flags were made by RPC {1} and I will never use them again, Marshalls
may be slightly more expensive, but at least they are square.

{1}
two different batches from different builders merchant's, so they weren't
seconds or a 'bad batch'.

On an even less slightly related note, wall tiles are the same. You
get a neater job if tolerances are good.
Anyway this is another thing/snag to add to the memory banks !

Cheers,
Simon.

sm_jamieson wrote:
On 30 May, 14:33, "Phil L" wrote:
sm_jamieson wrote:
I've had delivered some 7N and 3.5N blocks (manufacturer Masterblock),
and I've noticed they are all about 5mm smaller than the standard size
440 x 215 (they seem pretty much 100mm wide though). This will not
matter for the work I intend to do with these, and its a small
difference, and I'm sure they would laugh at the builder's merchant if
I complained.
But with the accuracy of the bricks you get these days I was
surprised. If the thermalite blocks I will use for the main extension
walls turn out to be undersize, that will be a pain, since you kind of
expect an accurate 10mm joint will get bricks and blocks to line up.
I've used bricks before, but not really used blocks for anything. Is
this often the case with blocks ?
Simon.

The joints in blockwork can range from 3mm to 50mm(!), both horizontally and
diagonally...although it is irrelevant anyway as there isn't anywhere where
it will actually matter whether they line up exactly:

1) Brick ties will bend upwards or downwards, and indeed they are made for
this, which is why galvanised ones are now banned.

2) At any openings, the blockwork can be easily cut down or packed up.

Yes, but this is a pain and would make internal exposed blockwork look
ugly (e.g. you can get specially smooth blocks to take paint
directly). A block should be the same height as a brick turned on it's
end - in fact vertical bricks are often used instead of cutting a
block. If not, why bother notionally making bricks and blocks fit with
a standard 10mm spacing. I'll obviously not fuss about this since I
need to get building, but it's something I will bear in mind in the
future !

I'm sure celcon are accurately sized (they are wire-cut), but I will
check up on this. I could have been sold rejects - how would I know ?

....on a slightly related note WRT sizes, I recently had the misfortune to
lay 225 600mmX600mm flags (paving slabs to southerners) on a patio, drive
and front garden - pretty much encapsulating the full house, except none of
them were 600 X 600 - the majority were 595 X 597, and some were only 593 X
600....needless to say I was thoroughly ****ed off about this as when I lay
flags, you cannot get a cigarette paper between the joints, whereas in this
case, there were 5mm joints on some of them and even 8mm joints here and
there.

The flags were made by RPC {1} and I will never use them again, Marshalls
may be slightly more expensive, but at least they are square.

{1}
two different batches from different builders merchant's, so they weren't
seconds or a 'bad batch'.

On an even less slightly related note, wall tiles are the same. You
get a neater job if tolerances are good.
Anyway this is another thing/snag to add to the memory banks !

Cheers,
Simon.

even slight off-ness sizewise does make a neat job a fair bit harder,
but once you've bought them you need to get it done, and the
retailer will say the sizs are only nominal... so not much you can
do.


NT