[savbo]

Hi all

Later this week I will be mortaring 2 courses of breeze blocks to make the base for the 12' greenhouse I am moving onto the new plot. What mix would people recommend? The Useful Links seems to suggest 6:1 and other websites go right down to 3:1 (I wasn't going to bother with lime, just cement and builders sand)

MS

[Lardman]

If you're just laying blocks Id probably aim for around 4:1 but can't say Id pay too much attention to it     If you're worried about it and aren't too bothered about cost Wickes do "brick laying motar" major bags.

What are you laying onto ?

[savbo]

well this probably isn't an accepted technique but the first course is going to be bedded on a layer of sand at the bottom of a spade-width trench, well trodden down, with soil drawn up to half block hieght. This is the base I used when I put up the ghouse last year and it seemed to work OK...

[Lardman]

Its not like you're building a 3 story house 

If its on the lottie Im sure it will be fine, If you want something a litttle more beefy. Put 1 course flat and lay the 2 courses on those, in the shape of an upside down T and then backfill.

As mine will probably get moved I just pushed the 6 legs of the galv. base (about 8" long) into the soil and back filled a little   

[savbo]

that's a good idea Lardman - can see it would be very stable... hmmmm am I too tight to spend the extra £30 ? 

M

[mumofstig]

my neighbour hammered some angle iron in next to the legs of the base, and bolted them together cos It's very windy on the local site

[digalotty]

if your laying sand in a trench mix some cement in with it , it will be ok mixed dry and as lardman says lay a block down to give it stability then build on top . blockwork is normaly a weaker mix but as this is outside a slightly stronger mix will be advised so 4-1will be better

[8doubles]

Breezeblocks ? If you get any frosts they will fall apart fairly soon. Concrete or  weatherproof bricks would last a lot longer.

[Lardman]

Breezeblocks ? If you get any frosts they will fall apart fairly soon. Concrete or  weatherproof bricks would last a lot longer.

I I think I remember savbo referring to dense concrete, rather than the light weight blown last time the issue was discussed.

As a side note : Worried about frosting last year I put a lightweight block on the soil outside and rendered it as an experiment (yes I do need to get out more  ) Although the block was saturated for most of the winter and the render blew off in January the actual block is as good as the day it was put there. 

[savbo]

it's the medium density blocks I've bought, so I'm hoping you're right Lardman!

thanks for all the advice everyone

[Steven Rowe]

5-1 , add a touch of fairy liquid to make it more plyable and sticky

[savbo]

just a quick update - it took about 8 hours with lugging blocks, mixing mortar and sorting out the dodgy diagonals but the base got built on Saturday and now has the frame sitting nicely on top of it! cheers everyone!

M

[mumofstig]

all that hard work....well done you

[Rangerkris]

So where are the picture's.

[savbo]

Here we are! Now screwed down using Ankabolts and ready for glazing