Closing/tying a cavity. problem

[fruitcake]

Hi,

I have recently added an extension across the back of my house. I have created one opening from my lounge by cutting the brickwork straight down from the original back window and made a larger opening from the kitchen supported by two rsjs.

This has left me with the two openings and a central pillar in between, which is where my problem lies. According to the building inspector the two 'skins' of the cavity on this pillar should be tied together. I have been instructed to remove alternate half bricks at either side of this pillar and use bricks to tie across the two cavities.

The problem is however that as you go up the pillar the cavities kind of go out of sync so that if you take a half out of each cavity then a brick would not fit across them. Please help?

I will try to include some pictures as I imagine this is quite hard to visualize from my description alone.

 

[^woody^]

.... the cavities kind of go out of sync so that if you take a half out of each cavity then a brick would not fit across them.

Pictures or a better description please.

You cant take a half [brick] out of a cavity unless you've dropped it down there in the first place

 

[fastneattrowel]

fruitcake your best bet is on the inner wall take out every other 3 bricks starting from bottom replace with a thermalite block which has to be returned towards outer skin and seperated with a vertical dpc 150m ,which in fact is called block bonding hard to describe but simple to do )

 

[^woody^]

I got the impression he needs to tie the two skins together due the to load from the beam, and not close the cavity with a returned block and vDPC

 

[fastneattrowel]

I got the impression he needs to tie the two skins together due the to load from the beam, and not close the cavity with a returned block and vDPC

probaly right there woody my fault,why dont he take out 3 bricks and replace with concrete block its all plastered

 

[fastneattrowel]

he wouldnt get a brick across cavity anyway so block bond it with a conko )

 

[fastneattrowel]

ok fruitcake this is wat you do, get a grinder and cut out three bricks either side about 120m width then put a concrete block acroos cavity just short of 10m the other side, then on the next courses fill in the gap inbetween cavity with a brick or a piece of blocks then go back to the 1st stage cut out three bricks either side 120 width and so so till you reach top , dont forget to use sand and cement lol : have a good day

 

[fruitcake]

Thanks for the info guys.

Sorry for the confusion. Yes woody you are correct the walls need to be tied due to the load from the beam. Please see picture below, hopefully this will make things a bit clearer. As you can see the courses go out of sync near the top of the pillar. Also, the other problem that I forgot to mention is that half bricks on either skin do not line up. ie a half brick on the outer skin is opposite a full brick on the inner skin.

thanks again

 

[fruitcake]

Sorry try again with the picture,

http://www.mediafire.com/imageview.php?quickkey=7fvbzyzxtsm&thumb=4

 

[fruitcake]

Obviously there are no pad stones at the moment but these will be added when the other work is done.

 

[fastneattrowel]

Obviously there are no pad stones at the moment but these will be added when the other work is done.

do as i say fruitcake your making a mountain out of a mole hill lol

 

[^woody^]

Block bonding is the usual method, as mentioned - but is a bit of faffing about

What I would do is .... fill the end of the cavity with some split bricks, or wedge something near the DPC,and fill the edge of the cavity with some lean concrete. Put some insulation further in the pier cavity first to stop this falling backwards

Then fix 3 'L' shaped 600mm restraint straps horizontally to the wall (hack out a channel in the plaster) so that the strap wraps around the face of the previously external wall. Make sure you have a fixing in each skin of the cavity wall. Fix these straps 300 from floor, at center point of opening then 300 down from beam. Four or five 50mm nr 8 screws and plugs per strap

This will effectively tie the two skins together to prevent any potential buckling of the pier, be less work, and possibly better than you trying to fill the toothed joints if you block bond

 

[fastneattrowel]

Block bonding is the usual method, as mentioned - but is a bit of faffing about

What I would do is .... fill the end of the cavity with some split bricks, or wedge something near the DPC,and fill the edge of the cavity with some lean concrete. Put some insulation further in the pier cavity first to stop this falling backwards

Then fix 3 'L' shaped 600mm restraint straps horizontally to the wall (hack out a channel in the plaster) so that the strap wraps around the face of the previously external wall. Make sure you have a fixing in each skin of the cavity wall. Fix these straps 300 from floor, at center point of opening then 300 down from beam. Four or five 50mm nr 8 screws and plugs per strap

This will effectively tie the two skins together to prevent any potential buckling of the pier, be less work, and possibly better than you trying to fill the toothed joints if you block bond

lmao your funny woody, simple answer is why dont he get a longer steel so he has no pier,or if thats not possible just block bond it, good night all

 

[^woody^]

lmao your funny woody, simple answer is why dont he get a longer steel so he has no pier,or if thats not possible just block bond it, good night all

And will you go and lift this big MF of a steel in for him lol

Not me thanks, my back's twitching already

Seriously though, you and I may block bond it in a hour or so (not sure about noesall ), but if the OP is a DIYer, then he may want something easier

 

[noseall]

Obviously there are no pad stones at the moment but these will be added when the other work is done.

whatever knocking about work you do to the existing masonry beneath those beams, will require you to prop them. so you may as well bite the bullet and install the padstones while you're at it.

at least the padstones will take care of tieing across directly under the beams.

it would take me a hour or so too.