40 replies to this topic

[Skuts]

Not 100 percent but the window will be some thing like 1800 long x 600 high.

There will be a deck butting up to the front of the pond so from the deck it will be about 900 high

What are commons, if you don't mind me asking sixfootlong where do you draw your advice from (not meaning to be rude or anything just curious)

[SIXFOOTLONG]

commons are a common brick

I'm a builder from a Major construction company .. if you want my resume i will have to start charging for advice ha ha

i would put the window / viewing panel on the inside as this will provide a beta seal when you come to water proof and silicone

[Skuts]

Haha I wouldn't want that wouldn't leave much for my pond,

The plan was to have it on the inside Supported by 40mm of brick work all way round the window, thin could the top lintel be do you think??

[SIXFOOTLONG]

i wouldn't use a lintel on the top just make suer ether side of the opining is supported with good reinforcement in the block work if you go that way and the viewing panel should be in line with the top course of block work .

you wouldn't need to support the glass as the silicone will hold it (good quality silicone ) and the pressure from the water inside will hold it in place also . just make sure you make the glass 100mm bigger than the opining at the bottom and the two sides so it over laps .
and remember loads of silicone is not necessarily a good thing. a good 10mm bead all the way around 20mm from ether edge and one on the outside junction between the glass and masonry will be beta than using a whole tube on one side .

depending on your brickwork/block work skills you could use cup blocks ether side of the opining to act like a sleeve to insert the glass into then dry pack (very dry mix of 50/50 cement sand and little water )the glass in .

cup blocks are u shaped blocks so it would be like a c on the side with an - in between like ..>> c- if you know what i mean c = cup block and - = glass

i think the most expensive part of your project will be the water proofing

and remember that you can only order a minimum of .3 cubic meter of concrete so work out your slab to this other wise they will dump the remainder on your lawn HA

(there should be a squiggle button on here to draw with it would come in handy so often )

[Skuts]

Mmm more food for thought, what you have described is the look I was chasing with the glass but I thought this wouldn't work without having some sort of engineered glass or it being extremely thick

Defiantly one more vote here for the drawing tool haha

[SIXFOOTLONG]

1800 x 600 you would be looking at 20/25mm toughened glass i think find a tank with the same volume of water and see what size glass they use then you know you will be right .

[Skuts]

There's 1 possible problem with that and that's a 6 foot tank has bracing on the top tieing the top edge to the back it about 2 places in the pond that won't be there so the glass will have the full weight of water against it with no support at the top I read a post some where where someone wanted to do this and they got quoted 2k for a piece of glass able to support the water with not top bracing

[SIXFOOTLONG]

you dont want bracing?

[Skuts]

Originally no not at the top but cause of the cost I was going to put in a concrete lintel at the top so the glass would be supported on all 4 sides as a pose to 3

[SIXFOOTLONG]

can still do it that way but i think it looks beta when the glass is on it own at the top edge with the water

draw up a sketch i have some blocks reo and mesh may also have some crank bars

[aussiemcgee]

Looks like a brilliant idea - luv these big outdoors tanks. looks like you are fairly well sorted in the construction phase especially if you do it proper such as big jonno has suggested; but if I could throw my 2 cents in...

I have run a landscaping/ water feature business for years now and during that time I have only agreed to build one bricked up and "pond sealed" pond and I made the client fully aware that I don't believe in pond seal for long term use. Also during this time, I lost count how many times I got calls from randoms needing help and saying that their concrete pond is leaking.

I would use a water proofing agent in all cement mixes during construction also the render, I agree with running a silicone bead around all the inside corners then definately fibreglass the whole lot.

Do it once...

[Skuts]

here are a few sketches of what is will look like in a round about way the whole thing is still in the design process but the basic idea will remain,
the brick look isnt going to stay its just a fill i used to create the walls i have included one of the recess for the glass

the scale of the drawing is fairly exact

i have included one with the frameless glass at the top and one with a lintel at the top

thanks for the offer of the bricks sixfoot, this build is still at leats 9 months away as i have to wait for my house to be built, im just thinking about it now cause it takes me ages to make up my mind, also if i do all the planing now then when the house is finished i can crack on with it

Edited by Skuts, 07 June 2011 - 12:03 PM.

[Skuts]

Ok so today I went and saw my new house for the first time and I noticed that there were 6 packs of unused bricks sitting there,
They are fast wall bricks is there any way o could use them if so how. If its best I stay clear let me know also

Cheers

[Neakit]

fast wall if im thinking right about what they are aren't the strongest for construction but you may get away with them dependent on height.

[Bowdy]

Didn't most people already advise against using fast wall bricks.

[Skuts]

Didn't most people already advise against using fast wall bricks.

Yes, just thought I'd test the water again since they are there, I thought one of the experienced construction guys might say there ok if you double brick it or wall tie everyone or something like that. I have already bought them by default so just thinking if it was possible that would be great save on some materials, any way if the general consensus is that there no good ill chuck them , only want to do it once haha

[Bowdy]

I'm prity sure any unused brick leaves are the property of the building co.
Had friends build houses and the extra un opened bricks all removed.

[spite333]

A brickie will normally throw out the left over bricks even if there is 2,3,4 pack coz they get payed per brick, if its on your property and unused they are yours, coz the builder will order what they need and if there is any left over like i said there yours........

[SIXFOOTLONG]

dont use fastwall... how many blocks do you need?

A brickie will normally throw out the left over bricks even if there is 2,3,4 pack coz they get payed per brick, if its on your property and unused they are yours, coz the builder will order what they need and if there is any left over like i said there yours........

all building material will remain the property of the builder until handover papers are issued and singed ( not yours till you have the key )

however a quick carton to the building supervisor normally persuades him to leave them behind .

having a look at your drawing mate it looks like you have recessed the brick for the glass -

 Document1.pdf   37.3KB   20 downloadsyou would want to keep as much of the brick as possible see attached scetch

Edited by SIXFOOTLONG, 18 June 2011 - 09:40 AM.

[Skuts]

by my calcs i will need about 120 blocks for a 4x1.2x1m pond this is based on 12.5 blocks per m2 ( i got that infor here http://www.sydneybes...m.au/faqs.html) (have worked it out exactly cause im not sure what size window i will have yet so i just deducted a few)

also the wife wants some plater boxes either end of the pond so they will be 1.5x1x1m each so thats another 8 square m (100 Blocks) (Would the fast walls be ok for holding up dirt)

so total of 220 blocks (2 palets) or 120Blocks if i could getaway with the fast wall for the planter boxes


That looks like the way to go with the glass sixfootlong thanks for the pic