Hollow or solids

MattyS · Post by **MattyS** » Wed Sep 12, 2007 12:48 pm

What bricks do i need? Im ringing round getting quotes

i need 280 bricks so do i buy solids or hollows and what size 140 or 215?

and whats the chance of getting it below Ã‚Â£390 for 215 hollows?

Gazza · Post by **Gazza** » Wed Sep 12, 2007 3:00 pm

Hollows you need to fill and solids you don't,well depending how you want the front or face of the pond finished and if your going to have a render or brick finish.

MattyS · Post by **MattyS** » Wed Sep 12, 2007 3:14 pm

ill be doing the pond in concrete blocks then rendering the inside before plaster. I will then save my pennies up and cover the outside of the pond in nice brickwork like yours.

StuW · Post by **StuW** » Wed Sep 12, 2007 3:15 pm

If you use the hollows like I used on my pond I would question whether you would need to backfill them, they weigh a bl***y ton and nearly gave me a hernia, I am sure they are actually heavier than solids but are not nice to use. Only advantage over solids was the small hollows which meant you could get fingers in to the holes in them. The hollows were so small they would be almost impossible to backfill with concrete anyway.

MattyS · Post by **MattyS** » Wed Sep 12, 2007 3:20 pm

Thing is hollows are double the price of solids. I can get solids for about Ã‚Â£250 for the whole pond.

Gazza · Post by **Gazza** » Wed Sep 12, 2007 4:28 pm

Hi Matt,

If you use solids and are having a face wall i think some say its best to do it all as the face wall is part of the structure but not being a builder i am not 100% sure.

My solids are on their sides not upright so its (" thick all round and only the front has them normal so we could put a face brick on the front.

Come on Justin whats best

Thorny · Post by **Thorny** » Wed Sep 12, 2007 6:49 pm

OK Its horses for courses really. You can use either. Both giving You a pond.
If laying Hollows You should use rebar as well as this is what these blocks are designed to be built with.
A little tip if laying them is always cut Your snots off from the inside of the hollow. Other wise when You come to slurry pour with concrete you may have reduced the size of the hollow. Makeing things hard work when filling them.
Personally I would nearly always lay 100mm blocks laid flat in the ground. Then as You come above ground back fill with concrete. Then I would now lay any blocks above ground upright. Giving You a 100mm wall. Then I would set My face brick work out 50mm off of the block work useing the concrete backfill as a footing. Make sure You tie both skins together with wall ties. I would space these at 900mm by 450mm.
You should now a have a 250mm wall. Once the brick and blockwork have gone off. You then backfill the 50mm cavity with a concrete slurry mix.
I hate to say it Matt but trying to penny pinch in the building of Koi pond is a reciepe for disaster and normally cost more in the long run.
So if You can build both Your block work and face work together its best. Other wise You will be wasting money on 225mm blocks when You can get away with 100mm blocks if doing both skins together.

Stu are You some sort of powderpuff mate

. 225mm hollows are for girls. Even My wife can lay em. You want to try laying 300 225mm solid concrete blocks in a day. They wiegh 7 stone each block. They have a name where I come from "b*****K busters".

Justin

Bob Hart · Post by **Bob Hart** » Wed Sep 12, 2007 7:01 pm

Matt,

Every pond I have built has been built out of 4" wide concrete blocks, all the way up. Below bround the 2-4" gap at the back of the block gets filled with concrete, which ties it back into the grounsd around it. The backfilled are acts as a base for the facing bricks above ground. The rebar used in the base, I bend upwards so it sits behind the concrete walls, so when back filled with concrete it ties it all in.

My pond is in it's 13th or is it 14th year, 8500 gallons of pond (plus filters), built to last!

I knocked down a pond at my last house for the current owner a couple of years back, it was hell - ask Taggy.

In my opinion, ponds are over engineered, but that is just my opinion. I would only change from this method if the ground was perhaps sandy and likely to move about.

Thorny · Post by **Thorny** » Wed Sep 12, 2007 7:24 pm

I can second that Bobs pond is built to last. I helped to try and knock some of it down a few months ago

I must be mad I am going back next weekend to crack on with the next rebuild.
I think Bob has hit the nail on the head with over built ponds. For Me I have to build a pond as strong and meaty looking as possible within a budget. As I build ponds for people. So they pay Me a service and I have to give them what I want.
Justin

MattyS · Post by **MattyS** » Sat Sep 15, 2007 1:25 pm

Ok im going hollows backfilled and with steel rods then ill back fill between the hollows and the face bricks.

Pond is now drained/ Im going to try and get some digging done tonight

Gazza · Post by **Gazza** » Sat Sep 15, 2007 1:28 pm

Come on get out there digging its a lovely day

Bob Hart · Post by **Bob Hart** » Sat Sep 15, 2007 1:30 pm

Thought you were skint????? That's overkill Matty

Obviously it's your money you are spending though.

MattyS · Post by **MattyS** » Sat Sep 15, 2007 1:33 pm

LOL its a bit difficult to dig while holding an 8 week old baby : (

MattyS · Post by **MattyS** » Sat Sep 15, 2007 1:36 pm

BOB im not 100% skint but not as flush as id like.

The 225 ml hollows will cost m,e Ã‚Â£400

I have 1.5tons of cement ready to turn up just need ballast

Bob ive put money aside to pay you to fibreglass. And i have about Ã‚Â£1000 left to spend on building the brick wall. Turns out my wifes friend is a lecturer on building and is going to help me

Gazza · Post by **Gazza** » Sat Sep 15, 2007 1:37 pm

What are you putting on the top Matt to finish it off