Alternatives to SureCav - Janet's snot socks

[TerryE]

We originally intended to use SureCav between our MBC timber frame and the local (Cotsworld-like) stone skin.  Anyway we were unhappy about the price and our builder was unhappy about the profile build-up, so we decided between us that we could manage keeping the cavities clean by other methods.  There are two alternatives that we considered, but ended up using a third which work well.  The first two alternatives were:

• To use internal slipformers. You can Google this and I found some decent Youtube videos on this technique.  These can be awkward to manipulate and the stonemason still needs to pack in the mortar at each rise to stop the mortar snots falling down between the board and the skin.
• To leave two access holes at the end of each wall run and use a small piece of wood on draw cords between the tow holes as a sort of a flying shuttle to pull the snots across to the nearest hole where they can be cleared.  The holes are then stoned in once the elevation is complete.

In the end both approaches seems to add quite a bit of work for the stone workers, so our builder and his mason where reluctant to use either approach.  So we have ended up using a suggestion by Janet which was to create a fabric sock to leave in the cavity between each wall tie rise, hence my name: Janet's snot socks.

• We had some of the blue tenting fabric left over and this proved just about ideal:  a lot stronger and a little more flexible than building polythene sheet.
• Our mason is putting in a line of wall-ties at 45cm levels and at 40cm centres (because this is where the wooden uprights are.)
• We position the socks along each course over the wall-tie.  There's a bracing batten along the bottom of each and a couple of hooks which we can catch with wire coat hangers to hook the socks out.  We also use some steel strapping to keep the stone-side of the sock intimate with the stone line.  The frame-side is stapled with a few hammer tack staples.
• Immediately before the mason puts in the next line of ties we rescue the socks and tip out the snots, then reposition resting on the ties once he has them in place.

Anyway here are a few photos to give you the idea.  The last shows a view down the gap when the wall was about 135 cm high.  It's now up to 1.8m and the gaps are still very clean.  

OK, this is a little bit of a faff for us but we are building to a budget and this is a lot cheaper than SureCav, and is working well.

 

Edited July 30, 2016 by TerryE

[RandAbuild]

Having seen this in the flesh, I think it's ingenious!