Hendo's Oven

[Archena]

Originally Posted by Hendo

The blocks are designed to interlock with adjacent blocks and the course above, so once the first course has been laid in mortar (to compensate for any unevenness in the slab), the remaining courses are dry laid. Mortar thickness varied from ¼” at one corner to a little over ¾” at the opposite corner, so the slab was reasonably level. The blocks are 8” high and are bevelled on the sides and top, to simulate a ½” mortar joint. Laying these blocks was very satisfying work, as it all goes up so quickly!





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Wow!

Question, what are those blocks called? I assume my (eventual) supplier can order them. That is so totally cool!

Thanks!

[Hendo]

Archena,

It's called the Connex Mortarless Block System and is produced by Boral Masonry. You can download a detailed info sheet at http://www.boral.com.au/mdg/pdf/connex.pdf if you're interested.

It was developed in Australia, so I can't comment on its availability in the US.

Good luck!

Thanks to all for your kind words and encouragement - it has been bit wet here lately and I still haven't started the dome. However, other priorities have kicked in, like home maintenance, re-constituting the back lawn after all the activity and trenching, and re-vamping sub-floor cabling for various electrical toys, etc etc.

Cheers, Paul.

[Archena]

Thanks! I really appreciate it!

[jengineer]

I have not searched for them but they must be available in the US. We blew through Fresno a few weeks back and a friend of the wife's is in a new cookie cutter home AND they have a backyard! The block wall around the property did not have any concrete seams. That implied to me that interlocking blocks are available - I did not get a chance to roam around the neighborhood to find the source of the blocks. I will drop them a line and see if they can find out.

[Archena]

Cool!

I found a company subsidary in the US but it only makes bricks so I'd pretty much given up on finding them here.

[Unofornaio]

Why the tar paper under the brick in this application?

[Unofornaio]

Originally Posted by Archena

Cool!

I found a company subsidary in the US but it only makes bricks so I'd pretty much given up on finding them here.

I don't know where you are at on your build but I found this thread so I thought Id reply. These types of interlocking blocks are becoming more and more popular. I have a buddy that did a wall and ordered them from Lowe's several years ago. I'm sure Home Depot carry a similar product. You may also want to check with you local masonry yard to see if they have any "seconds" which to them is at the very least least a pallet. Last summer I purchased a version of these blocks that require a bed joint but not a head joint @ .55 for 6x6x18..heck I didn't care they were going to be stuccoed over. Here are some links I found:
Azar Mortarless Building Systems Inc.
VOBB dry stack concrete blocks

[Hendo]

Originally Posted by Unofornaio

Why the tar paper under the brick in this application?

I'd have to ask the brickie, but I understand the inclusion of some sort of 'damp course' is standard practice to prevent damage due to rising damp - called 'salt damp' here. Quite common in older houses (at least in Adelaide) where the salts in the rising damp crystalize (I think) and ultimately turn the mortar to dust. Debatable for a small structure like this, but having seen what salt damp can do, we erred on the side of caution.

[Bacterium]

Originally Posted by Hendo

I'd have to ask the brickie, but I understand the inclusion of some sort of 'damp course' is standard practice to prevent damage due to rising damp - called 'salt damp' here. Quite common in older houses (at least in Adelaide) where the salts in the rising damp crystalize (I think) and ultimately turn the mortar to dust. Debatable for a small structure like this, but having seen what salt damp can do, we erred on the side of caution.

your on the money Hendo...after chatting with my brickie.

The alternate I used to that was I put plastic (Fortecon) under my first pour

[Archena]

Originally Posted by Unofornaio

I don't know where you are at on your build but I found this thread so I thought Id reply. These types of interlocking blocks are becoming more and more popular. I have a buddy that did a wall and ordered them from Lowe's several years ago. I'm sure Home Depot carry a similar product. You may also want to check with you local masonry yard to see if they have any "seconds" which to them is at the very least least a pallet. Last summer I purchased a version of these blocks that require a bed joint but not a head joint @ .55 for 6x6x18..heck I didn't care they were going to be stuccoed over. Here are some links I found:
Azar Mortarless Building Systems Inc.
VOBB dry stack concrete blocks

Thanks! I had found some a few days after making that post but I didn't have one of those links!

'Preciate it!