Vijay Posted March 30, 2018 Share Posted March 30, 2018 Will be getting my concrete beams into place in the next week or so but I already know that because they are sitting on the ICF concrete, there is slight rocking as the concrete is obviously not totally flat. I wondered if it was an idea to lay them on some brick laying mortar to take up the unevenness in the concrete? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nod Posted March 30, 2018 Share Posted March 30, 2018 There so heavy that mortar wouldn’t make any difference also you will need dpc under each or a continuous line of dpc like I did 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nickfromwales Posted March 30, 2018 Share Posted March 30, 2018 Once you've laid the blocks and 'grouted' they're going nowhere. Just remove any obvious snots / points of the aggregate in the concrete so the beams sit as snug as possible and away to go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vijay Posted March 30, 2018 Author Share Posted March 30, 2018 (edited) 1 hour ago, nod said: There so heavy that mortar wouldn’t make any difference also you will need dpc under each or a continuous line of dpc like I did I don't use a DPC unless it's on one of the load bearing internal block walls. The ICF is waterproofed concrete. I may still put a patch of DPC under each beam as you suggest though but certainly not a continuous line Edited March 30, 2018 by Vijay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vijay Posted March 30, 2018 Author Share Posted March 30, 2018 45 minutes ago, Nickfromwales said: Once you've laid the blocks and 'grouted' they're going nowhere. Just remove any obvious snots / points of the aggregate in the concrete so the beams sit as snug as possible and away to go. Will do Nick. There's 100m or perimeter wall so just though some mortar might have been easier Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nod Posted March 30, 2018 Share Posted March 30, 2018 29 minutes ago, Vijay said: I don't use a DPC unless it's on one of the load bearing internal block walls. The ICF is waterproofed concrete. I may still put a patch of DPC under each beam as you suggest though but certainly not a continuous line It wouldn’t hurt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nod Posted March 30, 2018 Share Posted March 30, 2018 Just now, nod said: It wouldn’t hurt 28 minutes ago, Vijay said: Will do Nick. There's 100m or perimeter wall so just though some mortar might have been easier I put a continuous line of hi load dpc right around the perimeter Sat the beams on then folded it over the ends and onto the block floor and laid my first course of block on it Worked out ok for me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brickie Posted March 30, 2018 Share Posted March 30, 2018 A spot of mortar under each to stop them rocking wouldn’t go amiss. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nickfromwales Posted March 30, 2018 Share Posted March 30, 2018 Grouting is the bit some don't do very well. Its essential for a good, solid block and beam floor Imo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vijay Posted March 30, 2018 Author Share Posted March 30, 2018 I'll do DPC under each beam, a spot of mortar and grout well then Any tips on grouting, from what I've read soak the beams and blocks then brush in sharp sand and cement mix? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nod Posted March 30, 2018 Share Posted March 30, 2018 23 minutes ago, Vijay said: I'll do DPC under each beam, a spot of mortar and grout well then Any tips on grouting, from what I've read soak the beams and blocks then brush in sharp sand and cement mix? Yep all easy to do at this stage I think we’ve all had those moments when we wished we’d just done something while we had access I’m having one at the moment Doing a bit of pointing up in the roof space After I’ve boarded? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CC45 Posted March 30, 2018 Share Posted March 30, 2018 Grouting B&B - you need to make it fairly sloppy - even with wetting the beams & blocks (so there was water ponding on them) I still found it dried out quickly. You need to be fairly forceful with the brush so that the mix does actually get down between the blocks / beams. Its Q a fun way of spending a few hours. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vijay Posted March 31, 2018 Author Share Posted March 31, 2018 Looking forward to it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vijay Posted May 31, 2018 Author Share Posted May 31, 2018 Finally got most of the blocks in, just got all the cuts to do. I was going to grout it straight after but a builder friend said not to until I'm water tight, as the floor will pool rain water. It's something I never thought of and the reality is my house will not be watertight this year, so more than liked no roof through winter So grout or not grout? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Punter Posted May 31, 2018 Share Posted May 31, 2018 Grout. I like a mix of sharp and building sand + cement. Any ponding will do no harm. It is easier to do on a bigger area. A few years ago it was not uncommon just to brush sand rather than properly grouting! Doing the proper job with sand and cement really strengthens the floor as it ties the beams and blocks together. If you are screeding, it doesn't matter if the finish is less than pretty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roundtuit Posted May 31, 2018 Share Posted May 31, 2018 (edited) Grout. Or all the gaps will fill up with crap and structurally you'll never be able to do as good a job as you can now. Edited May 31, 2018 by Roundtuit 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CC45 Posted May 31, 2018 Share Posted May 31, 2018 Def grout now. The blocks will drain ok. I spent a few days cleaning crap out of the joints pre grouting - never again. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vijay Posted June 1, 2018 Author Share Posted June 1, 2018 Cheers guys. Crap has already got into places from trees and walking over it (damn clay on boots). I'll jetwash it as I go (right before I grout) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CC45 Posted June 1, 2018 Share Posted June 1, 2018 I found that I had to wet the blocks throughout the process - otherwise your sand/cement grout just dries up and refuse to slip down between the blocks. You soon get the hang of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nickfromwales Posted June 1, 2018 Share Posted June 1, 2018 Id have thought going around first with a 5:1 S/C mix to plug all the visible voids would pay dividends, followed by then mixing up a self-leveller type slurry in buckets and pouring it in? Youll never pack the gaps with mortar better than a free-flowing slurry mix will. A Lot of the ones Ive seen done have all the drips dangling down beneath them where the first lot has flowed through and cured, then a second lots been added to fill anything left. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vijay Posted June 1, 2018 Author Share Posted June 1, 2018 Nick you've made me cry at the thought of going over it twice!! lol Definitely will grout it now then What sort of consistency should the mix be? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CC45 Posted June 1, 2018 Share Posted June 1, 2018 It needs to start off fairly liquid - sloppy even - its got to run down between the blocks. Wet blocks first so the mix doesnt dry out too fast, then armed with a stiff brush spread the liquid around - encourage it to pack down between the blocks. You soon work it out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nickfromwales Posted June 2, 2018 Share Posted June 2, 2018 You MUST fill the obvious, and not so obvious voids with the S/C packing first, or the slurry will just drop through. Fill everywhere half full on the first pass and leave for 15 mins. Then go around with a bucket of the S/C mix packing where its obvious the slurry has started disappearing. Leave the first slurry to go a bit harder, prob an hour max, and then go for the final pass. Thats how to be sure you'll get no gaps whatsoever. Necessary to go so nuts? Not sure, but id be doing it if it was my build. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vijay Posted June 2, 2018 Author Share Posted June 2, 2018 (edited) It's 176m2 but I will go over it as many times as it needs to fill up the gaps Maybe a vibrating plate would help speed things up??? Edited June 2, 2018 by Vijay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nickfromwales Posted June 2, 2018 Share Posted June 2, 2018 Just now, Vijay said: It's 176m2 but I will go over it as many times as it needs to fill up the gaps Youll need one person mixing the slurry into a half full bucket, whilst you pour one. That'll take the ache out of backache. A bit anyhoo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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