6" block?

[exceloven]

I was wondering if anyone has used 6" block for the hearth. I have to have a center wall going down the middle and am thinking of using 6" and filling all cells. Any opinions?
Mark

[Dino_Pizza]

Hi Mark,
I was Cambria over the weekend and saw the Motel next door building planters and short retaining walls with 6" wide block, rebar in all cells and the horizontal rebar near the top row (I can't think of the name for the horizontal rebar that "ties" it all together). I know an oven is much heavier but if you fill all cells and rebar it all, ESPECIALLY if you have a center wall as well, it seems like it would work. I'll be using 8" block since I think Los Angeles requires that as a minimum now since the earthquake but people in other parts of the world have used less.
Good luck with the build, Dino

[christo]

I built my centerwall using 6" blocks - worked a treat!!!



I later used the fiberglass reinforced surface bonding cement on each side since it does not have much in the way of cores to fill. I put in on extra thick since I figured I'll be hititng it with firewood occassionally. Been over a year and no problems. It also made it very simple to span the openings with the concrete backer board. I put one support in each opening in the center of the exposed board to hold up the hearth while it cured.

Christo.

[exceloven]

Thanks for the help to Dino and Christo.

[Gryso]

Originally Posted by Dino_Pizza

Hi Mark,
I was Cambria over the weekend and saw the Motel next door building planters and short retaining walls with 6" wide block, rebar in all cells and the horizontal rebar near the top row (I can't think of the name for the horizontal rebar that "ties" it all together). I know an oven is much heavier but if you fill all cells and rebar it all, ESPECIALLY if you have a center wall as well, it seems like it would work. I'll be using 8" block since I think Los Angeles requires that as a minimum now since the earthquake but people in other parts of the world have used less.
Good luck with the build, Dino

Penso che farò il muro di sostegno per il basamento del mio forno con blocchi da 8", 15 cm da noi, ma certamente ci metterò la malta tra uno e l'altro.

Da noi il rischio terremoto è relativamente basso, almeno spero sia così.

Ciao Dino

Dario

[mfiore]

Originally Posted by Gryso

ma certamente ci metterò la malta tra uno e l'altro.



Dario

Dario,

You can do it either method. Build the block wall traditionally with mortar between the block, or dry stacking them and filling the cores with concrete. It has been suggested that dry stacking them, inserting steel rods, and filling the cores (at least every other core) is perhaps stronger. It is certainly easier to keep level for those of us with no experience.