stunotch

Window lintel.

Hi All, Despite the terrible weather, I have been making some progress. I'm pretty much at full eaves height all the way around now. And have fitted the concrete lintel above the window. The front wall with the window is going to have the pitch of the roof above, so I will be building the blockwork up above the window at whatever angle I decide the roof will be (22.5 I think) I'm about to instal the lintel above the door, however the blockwork is at 2050mm and the door height with cill is 2090. So I am thinking to add a row of common bricks, then fit the lintel on top, then add another course of bricks to bring the level up around the lintel. This would also mean adding 2 course of bricks on the wall opposite the door too. Does this sound the correct way to go?? Also, I noticed that bricks are slightly wider than blocks? Do I sit them flush to the outside wall and sticking out on inside, or flush on the inside sticking out on outside?!

I've not got the timber here yet, but yes there will be a wall plate. I will also need a lintel above the uPVC doors though 🤔

I've now got the blockwork up to the height of 2050, my UPVC door is 2105. What is the best way to do the final course of blocks? Should I just run a course of 2 bricks on the top, I feel if I use another block the eaves will be quite high? Thanks 👍

A Slate pitch roof to match our house. Not worked out the measurements yet! But the building is 4M square.

What size timbers should I use in the roof? Was thinking 5"? And how about the ridge timber?

Bit of an update. It's been quite a learning curve! But I'm definitely getting somewhere. The walls are straight and level, I think I have about 4mm error on the front wall but I can live with that! Not too bad considering I've never built anything before 😂 I've started to build both piers where the door is going, and I decide to add a pier to the rear and opposite side wall just to be safe, but not on the front wall where the window is going in as I want my work bench to run along that wall. When it comes to reaching the eaves height, is it best to start building the front and rear block work up to the apex, or build the roof structure first?

Cutting in half then? Like in this photo?

How would you do a return at the doors? Lay blocks on their sides or cut a block in half etc?

NEXT STEP! I need to decide the sizes for my door and window. I'm going to have double french doors to make it easy to move big things in and out. Obviously I can choose the size I want, but is there anything I should bare in mind with this? Ideally I want it to be a full block up to the door opening to save extra cuts? and are concrete lintels for above the door only available in certain sizes / lengths? And same for the window I guess? ALSO> Do I need to have a return in the brickwork for the reveals of the doors / windows? Or just fixing the door frame to the single block is acceptable? Thanks All.

The concrete slab is now poured! However, the concrete lorry turned up 1.5hrs late! so it was 2.30pm! I had 3 mates hanging around to help with the wheel barrows too. By the time we had the concrete in, it was getting dark! Then, the lorry ran out of concrete... I measured it several times so I know it wasn't my mistake, I even allowed 10% for waste. So we ended up having to mix up 4 cement mixer loads of concrete to add to it - I had no chippings so had to take them off my driveway to make to concrete!! - Anyway we got there in the end and it appears to have turned out not too bad considering its the first time i've ever done this! Its pretty flat and smooth, other than a few air bubbles that popped up on the surface.

Didn't see your post before I laid the concrete, I don't think it should cause to much of an issue

I got the phone number from the guys that do the spray rendering on the Taylor Wimpey houses being built behind, might get them to do it as the finish is amazing and its in colour.

I did, but I got more tape and finished it before the pour, and taped every joint 👍

Getting there! Compacted the base, put in a few inches of sand and levelled it, DPC down, 75mm Insulation down and taped the joints and the concrete lorry is arriving in the morning! 😅

Thanks for all the help / suggestions. I don't plan on having loads of weight in the roof, will be using slate, and will likely plasterboard the inside of the roof which will weigh a bit obvs. We do live near the coast and it can get pretty windy here.

I have a rough sketch, and have worked out where I want the door and a window. Art is not my strong point!

Decided to put up my marquee over the workshop since the weather is rubbish! Started my first course. decided to go with the blocks upright, and i'm going to add a little extra insulation as suggested and the floor concrete should only be around 75mm thick. Seems to be going ok considering this is the first time i've ever laid blocks! The corners are spot on square, have measured the diagonals to check and they are perfect. Turns out, the Taylor Wimpey concrete foots weren't quite as level as first thought, but only 10/12mm difference from one side to the other, so I've taken that out with the mortar bed. Question! As it is 4M square, I presume I need to put a block pier on each wall? Should this just be in the centre? Or should I maybe put it on the door opening on the one wall? On another wall there will be a large window, and my workbench will be running along that wall, I would prefer not to have a pier on that wall, any suggestions!? The piers themselves, do I just lay blocks right next to the wall blocks and use wall ties? Or should the blocks be laid flat for the pier? Any tips as always are welcome! Thanks.

Sorry, I meant if the bottom block was on its side, and then the upright blocks were on the edge of the bottom blocks. You would see half the bottom block where the arrow is pointing...

With perimeter insulation, do you place that to the top of the first course? Because then it would be seen around the edge of the floor? Or do you cut it slightly short and the concrete around the edge on top of the perimeter insulation is thinner?

Hi, and thanks for your help. If I use a block on edge at 225mm that would mean quite a step up on the door way from the ground level. I was trying to avoid that ideally, but maybe a bit stuck now as the concrete got poured to the top.

I just realised that this still isnt going to work, I need the first course to be around 170mm so I can cast the floor to that level, then continue building up after that. I wonder if I could use 140mm blocks on their sides, would then mean 75mm insulation + 65mm concrete floor thickness ... maybe too thin though. Not sure what the best way to go is now...

Would it matter if I lay the first course of blocks flat, but then start building blocks on top of them but on the edge so they line up?

I See, Seems like a lot of block cutting though. The door cill will be level with the concrete floor, is that not correct?

Hi, thanks but i'm not sure I understand what you mean? Cutting a block in half, is this for underneath where the door will go?