Hello, quick intro

[j68r]

Hello, just a quick intro, I'm in South Yourkshire. I'm not a builder by any stretch but have worked in civil engineering - currently building a raised bed with a yet to be fully designed pond/water feature at one end.

 

I've most likely massively over engineered this thing but the ball is rolling now, I just have one quick question for now.

 

I'm only building 4 block courses high and planning to double skin with a facing brick outer, using 3 lines of wall ties on the upper 2 block courses.

 

My question for now - is it ok to have the block courses staggered like this on the longer sides or should I be cutting blocks to get a 50/50 overlap.

 

blocks weigh 27kg 440x215x135

 

cheers

[Temp]

I think that stagger will be fine.

 

Not sure about the bog - waterfall - pond. I think it will be a muddy soup in no time. My brothers pond has issues just with leaf fall.

[j68r]

thanks for taking time to respond. I thought so myself but not being a builder was looking for some reassurance. Take on board what you say about the pond but it's going to be really tiny (approx 1670 x 700 x 3 block courses deep) and should be very easy to maintain. There will be a bottom drain into an adjacent 210L water butt (buried in the raised bed part, to act as the bacterial filter and a further smaller chamber with the pump in to pull water through and feed back into the pond via a small stream and rocky water fall, all yet to be fashioned but have ideas.

[j68r]

Another (daft) question - I have some 250mm stainless surplus wall ties and thought of placing them across the block joints embedded within the mortar bed as a bit of extra strengthening, which probably isn't really needed..but would they actually do anything anyway in terms of providing strength to the blockwork?