Gary in New York

I'm too tired to think coherently tonight, but here are some pics: Spent 3 days getting the 1st course right, training masons to work precisely. The next layers went up so quickly I didn't get any early pictures

Thank you Lili. Great information, much appreciated.

With my French consultant and two experienced (but typical mason helpers- who never saw Porotherm) it took one day to dry set the exterior walls of the garage and will take one and a half days to cement the first course (about 113' linear feet). Because there is no cement between layers (besides the first) the first layer must be absolutely precise. Using too wet cement that might shrink even just the thickness of a piece of paper sends the level far off

The builder repping Porotherm who is helping me has said the 365mm insulated blocks are between 21 and 22 US R value. Can you show me how you came to 31? Thanks Lili No question, but too late now. I had my own Rescheck done and the envelope did fine, based on my input of R21 for the walls. We're way above minimums in all other areas.

Porotherm because it's what my wife wants. Besides that, for the attributes they claim. We've lived for 20+ years in a 170 year old wood farmhouse that always needs painting or rotting wood replaced. The old clapboard no longer holds paint well- generally, too much maintenance with the wood. My wife's relatives have self built homes in Germany with the Climamur blocks. They're comfortable, require minimal heating and cooling, regulate humidity well, and presumably will last 100+ years. So I said I'd give it a go. Yesterday we received our first delivery of the blocks and today will start putting up walls for the garage. A tremendous thunder and lightening storm passed by earlier this morning, just before sunrise. Not sure if that's a good omen or bad.

Did you stick with Dan and use the Porotherm blocks? I'm starting to build my home and using their 365mm insulated blocks. Struggling to overcome issues from being the first person in the US to build with them, and to have a monolithic wall when codes all speak about the R value of the 'envelope' and continuous insulation, which my architect thinks they don't qualify for. Looking for anyone with actual experience. Thanks.

Thank you to the Admins for letting me post to your group. I am building a house in New York with Wienerberger's Climamur 36 (365mm thick) Porotherm insulated clay blocks. So far as I know, this will be the first house in North America built with these. The person helping me that has built many projects with Porotherm is French, and has worked mainly in Panama. Many things that he assumed were common and would be easily gotten in the US, it turns out don't exist here. Yesterday my wife was in a shouting match with our architect (over the phone thank goodness) and I think that if I were better informed of the issues with building a monolithic envelope house from these blocks we'd be much better off. Also, I am NOT a builder, just a retired photo studio manager who did many complicated renovations, but nothing involving the issues confronted when constructing a home. And because all the builders in my rural area are more than busy enough building the stick frame homes they are familiar with, I am left doing this by myself, hiring subs and helpers as I can. I don't know how it is in England, but it seems no one in America wants to work, or at least no one is available. Well, that's my introduction. I'll post my questions to the forums where clay block construction has been mentioned.