Digmixfill

Thanks for the suggestions. Food for though with more than one option. A DIY Rockclose type of thing? Are standard closers meant to be fastened to the brickwork? There will one or two places where a 150mm closer probably wont overlap the brickwork on both sides. Are building control ok with this approach? I thought they expected some kind of fire retardation in the closer?

My new internal walls are going up fairly straight, which means the cavity size in some places varies quite a bit against my wonky outer skin. There are a few places where the cavity is > 165mm wide. Any suggestions for cavity closing my wonk?

Did you find that the wall plates locked up easily against the walls with little movement, or did you have to swing on the nuts to lock everything up tight?

The wall in the pictures needs hangers both sides. I've considered wall plates either side with a length of M12 studding through the wall in each joist space. Any preferences for individual studding for each side rather than bolting through? The opposite wall will need the studding resin fitted. I bet you're banned from local restaurants now?

Thinking a little more about the options. I'd probably have to split the wall plate into at least two parts to allow a punch through for services and whatnot. Wall plate is in the lead so far.

I'm going to have to start putting in joist hangers soon. Most of the walls where they need to go are new block, so just placing them in as the wall grows is nice and easy. I have one wall that runs across the building that used to be a large opening. Aeons ago when this thing was built a pair of old railway lines were probably the thing to use, so that's what is in place. I've blocked up under the opening with 215mm aircrete blocks which fit under the lines nicely. The brickwork above is some 235-240mm wide and overhangs the lines. Where i need to fit the hangers for 215-225mm joists leaves the hangers unsupported over the void in the sides of the lines. Attached pictures hopefully give a decent indication of what I've got to play with. So far I've come up with: Drill and bolt through with a timber wall plate either side with extra timber into the line void. Weld lumps of steel into the line void behind each hanger. Thin piece of timber into the void for the length of the line. There is a doorway above the line too, which will probably need saddle hangers if I don't go with a wall plate. Any other ideas on how to deal with this?

Glad to see someone sorted out your request :) The site seems unable to send me notifications of replies and I've only just seen this :(

I don't think we have two openings the same size here. The doors will be whatever size we can have made to fit the hole

For this particular opening I've got a 1200mm catnic and the span is 866mm. Regs suggest 100mm bearing minimum for this span, but I thought i'd go 150mm anyhow.

It's in a 100mm inner leaf. Roughly another 2m of blockwork to go above it.

I'm about to fit a catnic bsd100 over a doorway, 900mm span, in a wall made of celcon standard 3.9kn blocks. Do i need to put padstones under it or not? Original plans specified a concrete lintel without padstones. I don't think I need to fit them, but i have a nagging doubt so thought i'd ask the floor.

Definitely. The droop on the tape measure will be an error to compensate for. How much extra trimmable stuff is on the ends?

That's not too bad in my case. I'll have to measure each joist span once the hangers are in place.

Measuring or cutting?

I'm going to get a price for web joists. With all other items so far I've found large variations in costs between suppliers for the same products. In most cases it has been worthwhile spending time on multiple quotes. Are web joists the same and worth the effort of tracking down better prices, or will I find that multiple quotes come in at pretty much the same price?

The towers I have picked up have 4ft between the uprights. 5 scaffold boards fit across them with a little to spare.

You mix for 10 minutes? Perhaps that is the secret i'm missing. I've got a special super accurate water measurer, it use to be a yogurt pot. The wedged wooden handle would have the same effect as propping up the rear feet of the mixer. It makes quite a difference. Have you tried shovelling out of your Belle? The lip in the centre of the drum is most annoying. I'm going to look at a tower section later. I'll measure to see how many scaffold boards this particular one will take across the top. Do you fasten anything under the boards to stop them walking off the tower or do you find they stay where they are put?

Thanks for finding the video. Are the five boards on the far tower ordinary scaffold boards? What are the longer boards you are using on the near section?

My current technique involves running the edge of the trowel across the top block edge before placing. There's nothing i can do for the bulges and they bugger up running a level across the face

I'll give the third block checking a go for the next course. How do you deal with the block edge against the line when the block edges are anything but straight? The last pack of celcons had blocks with bulges on their face and the edges are always rough and wobbly. I absolutely hated the DPC course. Trying to manipulate the block, the DPC and dress the DPM under the DPC was plain nasty. I have still to perfect the mix. It just never turns out as buttery smooth as the tutorials i've watched. Ditto on the Belle 130. With a small load in the drum i've found the stuff falls from the rear of the drum better if i prop up the rear legs by an inch or two.

That's the kind of thing I had in mind along with trestles and boards. I'm laying to a line along with all of the level checks ?

I bed one block at a time. I can lay the second course without disturbing the previous. I leave the two courses overnight and the next day i install the insulation board and resin in ties ready for the next two courses. I've put down 6 courses so far and looked at the 7th and thought "platform" Thanks for the confirmation. Just needed to know how many boards to price up a set.

I have come across these type of things. They looked promising but I haven't spotted one that had a decent sized platform.

I'm mortally afraid I will screw up and end up with un-straight walls. I check the face of every block. I place a level diagonally across the face and the previous rows. I don't put enough mortar down. I put too much mortar down. Same with the perps. I'm only doing a few hours a day block laying, so it will take me quite some time to gain the confidence and techniques of a professional. I will probably have it nailed shortly before I finish.

This goes without saying I'm not doing too bad with the ties so far. I've got to mark out, drill and resin them in. Lots of chalk marks on the wall - missing mark is the tell tale. Do builders trestles take 4 boards across the top of them?