Block Bonding

[Callismichael]

Good Afternoon



I need some advice on how to brick up this channel. I.m currently undergoing a garage conversion.



I believe this wall is holding up the floor joists above. The channel is about half a metre up, and about 10-15 cm width of missing block but the faces of the block work are badly damaged. Is it acceptable to just fill with concrete say where the meter tails bend round as I wouldn’t be able to get a block there due to it being in the way and brick where possible in the gaps or would I need to have a complete bond of bricks? These are 100mm single skin hollow block. The wall is till supported and bonded top and bottom.

I thought about literally packing the whole lot in cement so that i know it will be completely bonded but this is easier said than done as i can see into the next room in certain parts so it would splat everywhere.

thank you

Michael

 

[Callismichael]

Anyone? Please?

 

[^woody^]

Dpc up the wall, put a piece of timber in, secure it, plasterboard over the wall and timber, or fix mesh if plastering.

Hope are you dealing with damp at that window reveal, what the external wall is now internal?

 

[Callismichael]

Hi woody thermal plasterboard is being put on block work and over cavity sill. So do you think it's fine to just put dpc over that channel or a mesh from a structural perspective? It's the channel where the meter tails are which are the issue. Apologies I didn't make that clear. Cheers.

 

[^woody^]

It's not a structural issue is it? The block wall and the external wall are secure aren't they, and so it's just a gap between them that needs filling?

Btw sticking thermal board on an external wall does nothing to stop damp coming across. The damp will eventual debond the board adhesive. There should be a membrane on external walls in garage conversions.

 

[Callismichael]

Hi woody the wall where the meter tails are lead in to the hallway, this holds the joists up and nothing else but I'm still not comfortable with the size of channel in the hollow block by the electrician, floor has 100mm kingspan insulation, however building control never specified dpc on that wall they just said to thermal plasterboard as builder decided not pto fill with insulation between the cavity under window

 

[Callismichael]

It's integral the conversion if
that makes a difference?

 

[^woody^]

If it's a cavity wall then that's OK and do as the building control bloke says. It just looks like a solid wall in that image.

That gap appears to be just that, a gap. If the wall is not wobbling then just fill it.

 

[Callismichael]

Thanks woody I wasn't happy with the size of chase for those tails as there are regs regarding chase depths however because the blocks are bonded then the voids didn't line up to feed cable through. Bc mentioned an angled iron bar to be extra cautious but I think that may be overkill as blocks are bonded above and the cutout for an old meter box was a bigger width I suppose

 

[Callismichael]

Is cutting to suit the missing block acceptible or should I replace whole blocks?

 

[^woody^]

Is cutting to suit the missing block acceptible or should I replace whole blocks?

It depends what you are trying to do. If you think that the wall needs some sort of strengthening because of that gap, then you need to cut out all the blocks and bond new ones in.

Or you can just fill the gap, but that's adding zero strength. In which case whether you fill the gap with blocks or paper mache won't matter.

Those are your options

 

[Callismichael]

Thanks woody. Best thing to do I think is cut out broken void and then join new half blocks, hollow or solid where possible. Meter tails are in the way but I've managed to get some slack to get them slightly before the cavity.