Linear bricks

[JulesFormosa]

Morning, having originally specified circa 340 sq metres of incredibly expensive, 'handmade' linear clay bricks, still pained at the cost. Looking at alternatives and have found some pretty interesting concrete ones with similar dimensions. Have also found some splitface linear concrete bricks which look like natural stone but these are 50mm in height and architect is worried about matching the coursing levels and wall ties with the inner cavity block wall. Has anyone else dealt with non standard brick sizes and how did they overcome the problem? Thanks

[Dudda]

As an architect I'd also be worried about matching the coursing levels. At 50mm in height that's 60mm including the mortar joint. You're looking at 120mm, 180mm, 240mm, etc. These don't tie into any blockwork dimensions which has a standard of 215mm or 225mm including the 10mm mortar. A standard brick at 65mm high with a 10mm mortar joint is 75mm. Three number high fits nicely into the 225mm block (65mm brick + 10mm joint + 65mm brick + 10mm joint + 65mm brick + 10mm joint = 215mm Block + 10mm joint). 

 

You could use them on a timber frame but I'd stay away from them if it's a block build.

[SuperPav]

What's the inner block wall made of? If it's aircrete or similar, then you can just use helical ties (as would be used on a thin-joint construction), to whatever course heights you want.

 

If it's solid concrete block, then I'd advise against...

[Brickie]

Had this where reclaimed imperials were used on the outside-same issue,just bricks bigger rather than smaller. One of the main masonry support manufacturers (possibly Ancon?) made a small abbey channel slot tie which needed in the block,giving a variable height for the tie to slot in from the outer leaf. 

[Mr Punter]

I think you are buying in to a world of pain.  There are thousands of standard size bricks with a huge variety of colours and textures to chose from.

 

I am about to start a project using Forum Smoked Branco with a light grey mortar.

[JulesFormosa]

Thank you all. I believe the inner wall is specced to be made out of solid concrete block. @Brickieyes my PM mentioned the wall ties with channel. Will need to check them. @Mr Punterthose are indeed nice. @Duddathanks for clarifying, so I suppose that is why the pricey 40mm high roman linear bricks are acceptable as they would match up (40mm x 9 levels + 80mm mortar= 440mm; matched to 215mm x 2 plus 10mm mortar = 440mm)?

[Dudda]

  On 31/01/2022 at 11:29, JulesFormosa said:

 @Duddathanks for clarifying, so I suppose that is why the pricey 40mm high roman linear bricks are acceptable as they would match up (40mm x 9 levels + 80mm mortar= 440mm; matched to 215mm x 2 plus 10mm mortar = 440mm)?

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Yes, correct. They'd line up every second blockwork course. 

[Russell griffiths]

Why.???

I went for eye wateringly expensive cedar cladding, it looks really good, but does it look £10,000 better than an alternative product, nope not really. 

If you go for a brick with different dimensions it will cost more in many ways. 

Initial purchase.

Different wall ties.  

Brickies extra labour. 

It will go on and on. 

[JulesFormosa]

And that brings me on to the eye wateringly expensive stained Accoya cladding that I've chosen ?‍♀️

[Russell griffiths]

  On 31/01/2022 at 14:40, JulesFormosa said:

And that brings me on to the eye wateringly expensive stained Accoya cladding that I've chosen ?‍♀️

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Yep, will it look any better than Siberian larch. 

All depends on your look you want, I had a certain look and a group of pictures i had from a Canadian architect. 

I like what we will achieve but I’m sure I could have knocked £30-40 grand off the final bill with upvc facia and soffit and different cladding. 

But it’s only money and I’m not worried about eating beans on toast for the next few years. 

[JulesFormosa]

Siberian larch + Sioox is gorgeous if only we were going for that blonde scandi aesthetic.  However we are building a MCM modern revival that belongs more to Palm Springs than rural Hampshire and need a mid/dark tropical looking wood that doesn't need re-treating every few years to keep its colour - because we'll never get around to doing it. I'm looking for internal Cedar clad ceilings.... any hints on suppliers?

 

[Russell griffiths]

  On 31/01/2022 at 16:10, JulesFormosa said:

Siberian larch + Sioox is gorgeous if only we were going for that blonde scandi aesthetic.  However we are building a MCM modern revival that belongs more to Palm Springs than rural Hampshire and need a mid/dark tropical looking wood that doesn't need re-treating every few years to keep its colour - because we'll never get around to doing it. I'm looking for internal Cedar clad ceilings.... any hints on suppliers?

 

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Ha ha, you lunatic, I’ve got 70m of timber ceiling to do, when we first looked at it it was £3500 for the timber, this was expensive and has been dismissed a dozen times but always gets brought back in when we are feeling silly. 

Price has now gone up to £7000 and we are still thinking of having it. 

Dont forget the intumescent coating that will add £5-600 on top. 

[Russell griffiths]

Got any pictures. 

 

Im trying to build this. 

[JulesFormosa]

That's fantastic. We seem to have similar taste. Here's a render of ours. 

:

[Russell griffiths]

  On 31/01/2022 at 19:03, JulesFormosa said:

That's fantastic. We seem to have similar taste. Here's a render of ours. 

:

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Bloody hell that’s nice. 

[ed g]

Probably way too late to the party on this one to help, but for our self build (we had standard blockwork with a 52mm height facing brick) as long as the wall ties sloped downwards from inner face to outer we got BCO approval. The brickie seemed to cope with finding a pattern that worked and had sufficient numbers of ties to keep the BCP happy.