"David WE Roberts" wrote in message
...
Getting closer to wall building time now the weather has warmed up a bit;
if only it would stop raining!

I will obviously need to cut concrete blocks - I will be using the 'medium
density' blocks for external walls with no rendering.
[At least I think the normal ones are described as 'medium density' - it
does beg the question as to what 'dense' blocks are.]
snip

Any idea how much to allow for wastage?
I am not the best cutter of bricks etc.

David WE Roberts wrote:
"David WE Roberts" wrote in message
...
Getting closer to wall building time now the weather has warmed up a
bit; if only it would stop raining!

I will obviously need to cut concrete blocks - I will be using the
'medium density' blocks for external walls with no rendering.
[At least I think the normal ones are described as 'medium density'
- it does beg the question as to what 'dense' blocks are.]
snip

Any idea how much to allow for wastage?
I am not the best cutter of bricks etc.

I'd order what I needed to be delivered, and then pick up a dozen or so at a
time if any extras are required, you are better under ordering with blocks.

Also forgot to ask, are you intending adding any butresses? - if the wall is
longer than 4m, you'll need a buttress in the middle, basically just a stack
of blocks, tied into the main wall with tie wires on every course

--
Phil L
RSRL Tipster Of The Year 2008

"Phil L" wrote in message
om...
David WE Roberts wrote:
"David WE Roberts" wrote in message
...
Getting closer to wall building time now the weather has warmed up a
bit; if only it would stop raining!

I will obviously need to cut concrete blocks - I will be using the
'medium density' blocks for external walls with no rendering.
[At least I think the normal ones are described as 'medium density'
- it does beg the question as to what 'dense' blocks are.]
snip

Any idea how much to allow for wastage?
I am not the best cutter of bricks etc.

I'd order what I needed to be delivered, and then pick up a dozen or so at
a time if any extras are required, you are better under ordering with
blocks.

Also forgot to ask, are you intending adding any butresses? - if the wall
is longer than 4m, you'll need a buttress in the middle, basically just a
stack of blocks, tied into the main wall with tie wires on every course

I will need to add something in the middle of the back wall as it is 7.8m
long.
The front wall will also need some extra support and I am contemplating how
to work this in around windows, doors, and a place for the stove.
On the front wall this may end up as a fireplace for the stove to provide
sides for protection from the hot metal.

I have more or less decided to go for the maximum length of block wall and
ignore the fact that part blocks look less pretty.
For three sides this is not an issue as they are facing a fence.
The only visible area is the front and the doors are going to make a
difference to the number of blocks.

I can always hide stuff behind plant etc, or perhaps render the front wall.

Mainly, I don't mind if it is ugly as long as it is up!
[As the actress said to the bishop]

I would like to be able to get concrete blocks at less than £1 per block
because I need at least 330 blocks to do the back and sides.

Cheers

Dave R

On Feb 27, 3:34 pm, "David WE Roberts" wrote:
"Phil L" wrote in message

om...



David WE Roberts wrote:
"David WE Roberts" wrote in message
...
Getting closer to wall building time now the weather has warmed up a
bit; if only it would stop raining!

I will obviously need to cut concrete blocks - I will be using the
'medium density' blocks for external walls with no rendering.
[At least I think the normal ones are described as 'medium density'
- it does beg the question as to what 'dense' blocks are.]
snip

Any idea how much to allow for wastage?
I am not the best cutter of bricks etc.

I'd order what I needed to be delivered, and then pick up a dozen or so at
a time if any extras are required, you are better under ordering with
blocks.

Also forgot to ask, are you intending adding any butresses? - if the wall
is longer than 4m, you'll need a buttress in the middle, basically just a
stack of blocks, tied into the main wall with tie wires on every course

I will need to add something in the middle of the back wall as it is 7.8m
long.
The front wall will also need some extra support and I am contemplating how
to work this in around windows, doors, and a place for the stove.
On the front wall this may end up as a fireplace for the stove to provide
sides for protection from the hot metal.

I'd be wary of enclosing your stove too tightly (if at all) as it'll
stifle it and take longer and use more fuel to heat the space up.
Could you praps place it in a corner and let it convect and radiate
out from there without being "boxed in"?

Cheers
JimK

"JimK" wrote in message
...
On Feb 27, 3:34 pm, "David WE Roberts" wrote:
"Phil L" wrote in message
snip
Also forgot to ask, are you intending adding any butresses? - if the
wall
is longer than 4m, you'll need a buttress in the middle, basically just
a
stack of blocks, tied into the main wall with tie wires on every course

I will need to add something in the middle of the back wall as it is 7.8m
long.
The front wall will also need some extra support and I am contemplating
how
to work this in around windows, doors, and a place for the stove.
On the front wall this may end up as a fireplace for the stove to provide
sides for protection from the hot metal.

I'd be wary of enclosing your stove too tightly (if at all) as it'll
stifle it and take longer and use more fuel to heat the space up.
Could you praps place it in a corner and let it convect and radiate
out from there without being "boxed in"?

I plead special circumstances.........

As I am building up to my 3 rear boundaries I have decided to site the stove
pipe as far away from all the neighbours and their washing as possible.
This means the location is the middle of the front of the building.
As I intend to have work surfaces either side under the windows I need some
protection from direct radiation and also contact.
I may also make provision for stacking wood either side of the stove to aid
the final drying process.
It depends on how much room I have.
4 blocks high is 900mm which fits nicely with work surfaces.
Air flow will be from a vent by the base of the stove so it won't be
stifled.
It won't be the most efficient radiator and not the most efficient general
heating as I will have two windows on the front wall as well but I do have
the stove already and it should certainly keep the chill off the workshop in
the winter if required.
It should also boil a kettle if required :-)

Question now is will 2 * 900mm high block walls be enough to stabilise the
front wall or will I still need a pillar to the roof?
I could take the walls all the way up at half a block (or a block stood on
end and bonded every other course) or go all the way up at a full block and
build the bottom four courses out further than the top six.

Cheers

Dave R

On Mar 1, 5:57 pm, "David WE Roberts"
wrote:
"JimK" wrote in message

I'd be wary of enclosing your stove too tightly (if at all) as it'll
stifle it and take longer and use more fuel to heat the space up.
Could you praps place it in a corner and let it convect and radiate
out from there without being "boxed in"?


I'm having a little trouble visualising all this but here goes:-

As I am building up to my 3 rear boundaries I have decided to site the stove
pipe as far away from all the neighbours and their washing as possible.

but will they (reasonably) be hanging washing out when you need the
stove lit?

As I intend to have work surfaces either side under the windows I need some
protection from direct radiation and also contact.
I may also make provision for stacking wood either side of the stove to aid
the final drying process.

how will the worktops be held up either side of the stove then?
and how much gap would there be between the drying wood and the stove?

It depends on how much room I have.
Air flow will be from a vent by the base of the stove so it won't be
stifled.

A Vent to where? if to outside... I'd not bother as you'll *always* be
trying to heat cold outside air sucked straight in rather than
reheating warmer inside air....path of least resistance and all
that...

By stifled I meant unable to convect efficiently (not starved of
O2 :)

The point I was making was stoves are designed for, and work at their
best with, space around them in all dimensions to convect, rather than
just radiate (open fire). When they are "boxed in" (under a fireplace,
between slabs of blocks up to celiling etc) the air in the room
cannot easily move around as convection currents are limited by the
obstructions - so you get colder areas that "don;t feel the heat" etc.

Plus any constructional blockwork (not insulated from the outside) etc
close to the stove will *not* work as "thermal mass" to retain heat,
rather it will work as a heatsink aka "cold bridge" - so you could be
peeing in the wind to some extent...

It won't be the most efficient radiator and not the most efficient general
heating as I will have two windows on the front wall as well but I do have
the stove already and it should certainly keep the chill off the workshop in
the winter if required.
It should also boil a kettle if required :-)

Is it a pot belly type?

Cheers
JimK

** Replies plugged into the text **

"JimK" wrote in message
...
On Mar 1, 5:57 pm, "David WE Roberts"
wrote:
"JimK" wrote in message

I'd be wary of enclosing your stove too tightly (if at all) as it'll
stifle it and take longer and use more fuel to heat the space up.
Could you praps place it in a corner and let it convect and radiate
out from there without being "boxed in"?


I'm having a little trouble visualising all this but here goes:-

As I am building up to my 3 rear boundaries I have decided to site the
stove
pipe as far away from all the neighbours and their washing as possible.

but will they (reasonably) be hanging washing out when you need the
stove lit?

Yes - the two neighbours at the bottom of my garden (I am near a corner
where two roads meet so the gardens of the houses in the street at right
angles go across the bottom of my garden) both put washing out every day.
The bottom but one garden has an impressive pole which raises the washing up
to first floor level - rather like the flags of a ship entering port.


As I intend to have work surfaces either side under the windows I need
some
protection from direct radiation and also contact.
I may also make provision for stacking wood either side of the stove to
aid
the final drying process.

how will the worktops be held up either side of the stove then?
and how much gap would there be between the drying wood and the stove?

They will either be on wooden frames or on wood attached to the mini walls.
Plenty of scope for recovering old kitchen base units and reusing them.

Gap between stove and wood is up for calculation but I am currently
visualising something like a chimney breast without the bit that goes over
the fire. This is where the stove used to be in our other house. A bit more
width gives extra space for stacking wood.

It depends on how much room I have.
Air flow will be from a vent by the base of the stove so it won't be
stifled.

A Vent to where? if to outside... I'd not bother as you'll *always* be
trying to heat cold outside air sucked straight in rather than
reheating warmer inside air....path of least resistance and all
that...

In a habitable room a solid fuel stove must have permanent ventilation from
the outside.
I intend to insulate and eliminate draughts as much as possible so I will
need air to feed the stove.
Better to take fesh air in at the base of the stove and draw it straight
into the stove than draw cold air across the room and take warm air into the
stove.

By stifled I meant unable to convect efficiently (not starved of
O2 :)

The point I was making was stoves are designed for, and work at their
best with, space around them in all dimensions to convect, rather than
just radiate (open fire). When they are "boxed in" (under a fireplace,
between slabs of blocks up to celiling etc) the air in the room
cannot easily move around as convection currents are limited by the
obstructions - so you get colder areas that "don;t feel the heat" etc.

Plus any constructional blockwork (not insulated from the outside) etc
close to the stove will *not* work as "thermal mass" to retain heat,
rather it will work as a heatsink aka "cold bridge" - so you could be
peeing in the wind to some extent...

It won't be the most efficient radiator and not the most efficient
general
heating as I will have two windows on the front wall as well but I do
have
the stove already and it should certainly keep the chill off the workshop
in
the winter if required.
It should also boil a kettle if required :-)

Is it a pot belly type?

It is a modern airwash stove
http://www.stovax.com/products.htm?cid=4&sid=8&pid=200 IIRC
I know it says no room vent required but the original installer didn't
believe this.
It certainly performed O.K. in a traditional chimney breast in a lounge and
in the shed there will be nothing above it to stop the heat circulating.
Granted that the greatest radiation of heat is given if the radiating body
is in the centre of the area to be heated I haven't seem many houses with
radiators slap bang in the middle of the lounge ;-)

My main concern is keeeping the hot stove seperate from work areas and
cupboards.

I may add extra insulation behind the stove to keep more heat in the room -
this shouldn't be difficult.

Any pier to provide support to the wall is unlikely to come into the room as
far as the stove.
In fact, I might just put a standard pier directly behind where the stove is
to go, giving a double thickness wall.
Width is 389mm so a 440mm wide pier directly behind it seems reasonable,
with a wall 4 blocks high either side to form a protective barrier for the
rest of the room.

Most of this is a future thing - just need to clarify in my own mind what
needs bonding into the walls as I build them.

Cheers

Dave R