In this episode we install the block and beam floor, a method that we had no choice but to use. But if we had the choice, would we have chosen to use it? Would you?
All the best boys, am just starting another project and came across your wondrous site, so far has been full of those great tips (girders, stepped founds due to trees, dormers built with roof instu to name a few). Thanks for taking the time and effort to share, it’s great to learn from you wise folks. Mistakes and all. Dave
Superb work and a pleasure to watch. Hope you’re all having a well deserved Christmas break? Keep up the great content into 2023. Learning from skilled and knowledgeable builders like you that makes all the difference.
Thank you Phil! Really appreciate you saying that and sticking with us. We're back on it on Thursday weather permitting! Merry Christmas mate, all the best.
We built a B&B first floor on our house. Not cheap but we love it and our builder seemed to like it as well. Has insulation, UFH and screed on top. Same as you woukd do a ground floor.
Block and beam is the business. Floor by lunchtime. You've got to go b+b if you've gone deeper than 1.5 anyway. We just leave it rough ground under there, as long as you've got your gap. 25 quid a beam. Forget flooring grade blocks. I find it same price as ground bearing slab when you work it all out. Time and motion waits for no man
I put a block and beam floor into my extension (1999). It was 11m x 3m and off road so bulk concrete would have been a costly option involving a pump. Since there were 3 inside block walls I had concrete footings and supporting walls for them so the 11m length was split into 4 with the longest beams 3.5m. Can't remember how they were moved to their final position but don't think it was too bad. I didn't have to cut holes in the existing building so nowhere near as much trouble as this job. If you are wondering about the concrete for the footings they are only 0.5m deep down to bedrock so the concrete was mixed with a small mixer and barrowed into place on a nice warm May day.
Yeah in 99 I think it was then beam floor started getting popular with building regs. But I came back to a house built in 99 an lady had fell threw the floor at bottom of stairs.when I had a look the block was fitted cracked and over years it gave way an then the screed failed to
@@rogerphelps9939 It's along the side of a bungalow that now has a second floor. What was the bathroom is where the stairs are now. 6,000 bricks plus block inner leaf and with the upper floor added 75m²
Regarding the pockets in the wall. Did you cut them spot on, or did you have to pack something underneath to get them level? And then, what did you pack into the space around the beam in the pockets? Did building control have any questions or concerns about the pockets in the wall - or did you have to get anything pre=approved? Thanks
Merry Christmas Ad and the lads. Another nice vid. B+b always seems to be a smart (if more costly) way forward - do you think you would have been so down on it if, as you said, you could have had forewarning and run the beams across the back w an intermediate footing and avoided all the pfaffing? All looks super-tidy. Reminded of why I hate hand-balling long concrete fence posts! Feel your pain with that cold snap!
Hello Lester, Merry Christmas mate. Appreciate your comment pal. To answer your question, maybe not. These jobs are all in the planning and any deviation from that always leaves a bad taste. I'll get my head round it for next time though! All the best mate.
Merry Christmas Billy. We want to say to you a massive thank you for all your views and support over the past year. You've been a much appreciated supporter of ours since the very start and we really appreciate it. Thank you mate, take care.
Great content as usual. Did you brush in the cement slurry yet? Amazing how it tightens up the floor and eliminates so much of the bouncing from the floor.
Thank you TicTok, hope you're well mate. No we haven't yet, while it's open we didn't want to do that then have any standing water that will freeze so we're letting it all drain through for the time being. Cheers man.
@@mrabuilders6723 I'd recommend you get the grouting done ASAP, you'll find the B&B manufacturer will say the same. The grouting is critical to achieving design strength by amalgamating the individual elements into a monolithic structure. Delaying the grouting job risk the gaps becoming filled with debris, resulting in a unsatisfactory grouting job. Saturate the slab before brushing in the slurry. Its amazing the amount of strength the grouting provides so I'd recommend spending a little time and care on it.
@@kevocos left my b&b floor until roof was on ,then spent ages cleaning crap from joints. best way i have found since is to grout immediately but leave a block clear at a low point in the floor (usually cambered)then replace it for safety,it lets water drain away and gets the job done the right way, cheers
What do you need to do for the cement slurry? What's the mix and procedure? My extension 5 years ago, I don't think they did this. Seems fine though....and I haven't had any issues.
With all the problems you've had on foundations etc... If I had owned that I would have had the tree out! or possibly moved it further down the garden.
Exactly mate. Although you wouldn't believe how lucky we were running those beams in to the nearest course...it worked out perfectly level! Merry Christmas mate.
Hello. Quick question. Do you have to make the pockets in the house wall, or could you lay the beams on a supporting wall alongside the house wall ? Many thanks
Mate I love your vids I'm not a builder I used to do roofing but am a crane driver and tug boat deckhand in falmouth docks, anyway just listening to this video and was just wandering if you could get some insight in to building in the cold from a cold country who have to deal with this problem day in day out ? And please like I say I'm not being funny but every day a school day as they say mate cheers happy Xmas 👍
Hello Wayne, hope you're well mate and hope you've had a great Christmas. I really wouldn't know anything about working in colder countries. As far as I'm concerned this one is too cold as it is! Sorry mate. Thank you for watching our videos, hopefully you'll stick with us into the new year.
@@mrabuilders6723 haha yeah you got that rite it is cold enough here like I say love the vids hope you've enjoyed the holidays can't wait to see some new vids....take care mate👍
Cheers man, appreciate that and glad you like them. If ever you don't, be sure to let us know please! There aren't new videos coming at least once a week mate, thanks again, take care.
A friend of mine only would guarantee ground work to a depth of one mtr in the price, which payed off one day when they digging out they found a mine shaft,as it was below one mtr he didn't have to pay to have it capped,25 years ago £5,000,just mite be worth including it in your quote just in case 👍 ps it wasn't picked up on any survey .....
@@mrabuilders6723 I thought it was worth a mention ,,we came across one on a site we were working on it was about 10ft across ,a ventilation shaft for an old pit,the amount of steel and concrete to cap it off was off the scale,that would have bankrupted a one man band builder,and guess what ! That wasn't on any surveys either,,take care 👍
Hi, where did you get your beams from. So difficult to get hold of any. No builders merchants stock them and any suppliers won’t allow delivery without a fork lift to offload. Only need 10 @3.5m 🤦🏻♂️
Morning Adam, hope you're well. Sorry that it's taken so long to get back to you. The beams bowing up are absolutely fine. I think, and I may be wrong, that they are pre-stressed. All of ours were the same so theres nothing to worry about. Have you 'grouted' the joints yet with a slurry mix? Don't forget to do it if you haven't, you'll be amazed how stronger it makes it all.
I was looking at buying a property that had block and beam floor, I noticed from below in the garage I could see 5/6 blocks above were cracked through the middle. Would that concern you? The building was built in the 80’s
Hello Derek,.hope you're well. Block and beam for a garage roof is way way over the top mate, if you pardon the pun! I'd. go with a traditional timber flat roof if I were you.
Hello Micheal, not a daft question at all! They aren't secured at all really, they are just placed on the wall and then the blocks are laid between them, that's it really!
Hello Andy, Merry Christmas mate. In an ideal world I agree with you, but a crane wouldn't reach up that drive and over the house on this particular job. Hope you're well mate.
@@mrabuilders6723 Merry Christmas mate and a Prosperous New Year, my mate has a Hiab crane that lifts 550kg at 30 metres , not done a job yet that he can't reach.
I don't like the idea of using plastic push-fits to reinstate that mains supply. They fail. And it also needs electrical bonding for earth continuity if you use them. Best use brass compression fittings. But in any case, I think you would need to provide access to those fittings for maintenance if my memory of the 1999 water regs is correct. They shouldn't be buried. I could be wrong but I reckon you should take advice. And finally, I make an attempt to minimise losses by not fitting elbows if possible. Straight slip joints would have got you round the assembly problem. HTH
Hello Stephen. hope you're well. Those fittings were used in order to get the house back up and running. The whole main from the drive to the new stop cock position will be installed brand new, totally bypassing the issues that you've raised. Subscribe to keep watching and you'll see in future episodes! Have a great day!
That's great bcos I was thinking that to future-proof the property it was "an opportunity going begging" to replace the whole main. Nice job then. Thx for the update 👍
We don't do many of them mate, I'm not convinced as of yet whether it's the way forward or not. It's difficult, they bounce but they are quicker. All the best mate.
my only prob with b/b is possible rat infestations in the void im watching sat next to radiator with beer in hand i did this kind of work for 50 years so i feel for u guys out in the cold do i miss it heck no i dont 1 bit
Suspended floors are becoming the defacto standard. They are less carbon intensive and provide better ground insulation which is important for when heat pumps oust gas.
Trees ha ha ha looks like a hedge to any body apart from these so called building inspectors they don"t seem to have any common sense these days like the football referees nice job thou keep up the good work
@@mrabuilders6723 A hedge consists of trees or shrubs, a hedge isn’t a species. If this hedge had been conifers or any high water demand tree, poplar, you would have had massive problems.
