France in Focus

Watching new life in the sun yesterday evening, two examples of contradicts with my understanding of laying parpaing blocks. I was under the impression that the blocks which are solid one side and honeycomb on the other, were laid with the honeycomb side down, so you would start on the footings, generous amount of mortar, normally two little slots or holes on the flat side to pick up the block and lay, honeycomb down on the muck level and proceed. The two occasions I saw last night were exactly the opposite and the honeycombs were then filled up with muck to provide a flat surface to allow the next course of mortar and block to proceed

Sounds an absurd way to lay them. I have heard the way to lay an ordinary brick is with the "frog" laid downwards. Ostensibly to prevent any cracks in the mortar line allowing rainwater to collect and remain the hollow. I assume the same thing would apply to any hollow building block. Doing it any other way would waste an awful lot of mortar. But then most of the people that feature on these place in the sun have P&O qualifications.

Have been in building all my life, built loads of new ones back in the uk.
Always laid blocks with holes down, it gives a bit more insulation as well, only laid them with holes up was for garden/support walls and swimming pools to make them more solid.

Doug wrote: ↑Tue Feb 06, 2024 1:32 pm Have been in building all my life, built loads of new ones back in the uk.
Always laid blocks with holes down, it gives a bit more insulation as well, only laid them with holes up was for garden/support walls and swimming pools to make them more solid.

You would be better off shuttering and pouring a nice mix of sand, gravel and dust, with a bit of re-bar, probably quicker and cheaper, I did hear tell that laying them down would produce a wall not quite so strong, I always filled up the "finger holes" with muck and the U shaped blocks for a ring beam except on my extension where I did shutter it up and pour with steel in situ to create a solid ring on the top course.

I am beginning to doubt myself now, I think it could have been Chateau DIY which follows that, other than that there might have been a plonker on each one

This looks like standard procedures here in France.

Thanks Robert confirmed my thoughts, I think the fact of the matter is that brits are not used to working with this type of block

hughnique wrote: ↑Tue Feb 06, 2024 3:31 pm Thanks Robert confirmed my thoughts, I think the fact of the matter is that brits are not used to working with this type of block

Only worked with them for 50 years like that, back in the uk and over here.
Which proves how ignorant this old foogy is.

Also popular in France béton cellulaire for lightweight interior walls. One of the articles (in Dutch) by Chris le Bricoleur, pictures are self explaining.

See also his bathroom project in Burgundy: " The room was not really a room....."

RobertArthur wrote: ↑Tue Feb 06, 2024 3:16 pm This looks like standard procedures here in France.

Bet builders don't all wear a hard hat & goggles to ping a few chalk lines at almost ground level