Flint panels in wall

[dogman]

We have designed our house with a plinth with flint panels around part of the house and one small wall made of flint and intended to use the ready made flint blocks. I know that they look fake and even attempts to disguise them by adding small knapped flints does not make them much better

The issue we have is both walls are single skin cavity and then timber frame

 

Are there any user with experience of using flint who know of a way of building it without a backing block and keeping it 100mm ish thick.

I did think of using a cement board as the backer as the timber frame will have boards fitted above the flintwork for rendering

 

 

 

 

[Russdl]

We're planning a similar plinth and hope to use these http://www.planbloc.co.uk/index.php 

 

Not sure if you've seen them before but the blocks are various different shapes (apparently inspired by a Guinness glass) and interlock without leaving the straight lines of the normal rectangular flint blocks.

 

[dogman]

Thanks for the link. I had seen a similar product but the flint type was wrong.

As we are at edge of the South Downs NP we need flint from the local area and as they are in Salisbury i think they should be south down flint.

[mvincentd]

allbrickandstone.com claim their block is 5mm larger (so reducing the joint gaps and in turn the blockiness) and contain 15-17 flints each....

[Construction Channel]

how much weight is on the single skin plinth? if it is only superficial i should think a cement board backing would be a fairly good solution.

 

I would also steer clear of the flint blocks if at all possible, I laid flints for a good few years so i have a personal hatred for them

[dogman]

no weight at all it is decorative,

might try a test build as got a pile of flint out last builds foundations

 

 

[Onoff]

I'm looking to make separate, vertical "clip on" flint panels that will inset into our gate pillars, akin to how stone panels are done on commercial buildings.

 

It'll be a tray affair with the flints laid into a bed of "mortar". Stainless brackets on the back and possibly with knurled, internally threaded inserts cast in.

 

Generally though if the bottom one breaks you need to take them ALL out from the top!

[tonyshouse]

Lay a 5mm bed of sand into a frame set flints into this face down, lay thin mesh or grid on that, plop on mortar, leave some wall ties hanging our, allow to set. Build in like it was a window but without the wooden frame.

 

 

[Onoff]

Great idea that face down in the sand thing! What mix would be best? Sharp sand maybe?

 

Sure there was a discussion on eBuild about using a lime mortar as normal mortar would shrink leaving the flints loose.

[Construction Channel]

sharp sand looks good with the stones but is harder to work. 

you will need lime in the mix whatever you do but weather you use white cement and hydrated lime or just hydraulic lime depends how much of a purist you are, 

 

back when we were doing a lot of repairs for one of the local estates, IIRC our mix was 5 sharp, 2 soft washed, 1 lime and 1 white cement, (possibly 1 building sand depending how bright the sharp was)

 

we used such a weak mix as we were repetitively cleaning the same flints where people kept driving through the same spot, If i were doing it on my own house i would probably add the 1 building sand and another 1/2 lime and cement,

[Onoff]

I was thinking more of a resinous mix maybe substituting SBR instead of water!

[Construction Channel]

that would make the mix very sticky,

The mortar is only there to hold the flints apart, not to stick them together. (at least that was how i was taught)

It might also make things harder when you come to "stick" the flints at the end of the day ( *stick* - finish the flint work, like jointing brickwork)

 

[Onoff]

31 minutes ago, Construction Channel said:

that would make the mix very sticky,

The mortar is only there to hold the flints apart, not to stick them together. (at least that was how i was taught)

It might also make things harder when you come to "stick" the flints at the end of the day ( *stick* - finish the flint work, like jointing brickwork)

 

 

Good point. I was just mulling over whether SBR would make a mix that would "give" and flex whilst being strong. Might be too strong to finish!

 

So you reckon:

 

5 sharp

2 soft washed (sand is that?)

1 _1/2  lime

1 _1/2 white cement

1 building sand

 

I was hoping to come up with something pourable almost that would negate too much finishing.

 

 

[Construction Channel]

that was the mix we used to "imitate" lime mortar, It all depends on the look you are going for, (soft washed sand is what they would use for rendering)

we had some fairly long panels and i never saw any of them crack due to movement so i assume the mix is flexible enough, 

 

we used to lay them to a line (none of this scaffold board rubbish ), so each flint has to be structurally sound or it would just slide off. If you are going to be making a "pre made" panel you may want something stickier to hold them all together.

[dogman]

On 24/11/2016 at 19:30, Construction Channel said:

that was the mix we used to "imitate" lime mortar, It all depends on the look you are going for, (soft washed sand is what they would use for rendering)

we had some fairly long panels and i never saw any of them crack due to movement so i assume the mix is flexible enough, 

Thanks for all the advice. Think i will give it ago using cement board as a backer board with the quoted mortar mix

[Onoff]

On 25/11/2016 at 22:10, dogman said:

Thanks for all the advice. Think i will give it ago using cement board as a backer board with the quoted mortar mix

 

Old post/poster but did you ever have a go at making your own panels?