Packing above an RSJ

S

sparkyspike

Hi all.

I've knocked my kitchen wall out into an extension and I've put up a pair of 4m steels, one on each cavity wall.

The internal wall is no problem as I have picked up the timber plate, but I need to pack the small gap between the steel and the outside wall above.

What would you guys recommend I use? Ideally something that can be used in a caulking gun. I could hammer in slate or poke in sand-and-cement, but something out of a gun would be much easier. I need to pack out up to 5mm.

Cheers
 
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I'm sure the professionals will be along to give you their advice soon,
Personally i would pack the joint very tightly with slate or steel packers, the very fact that you've inserted a steel as a structural support, you don't want any gaps at all, the wall might be sitting there at the moment but could settle on to the steel and leave cracks in the wall above.
I wouldn't rely on anything from a caulking gun, to be strong enough
 
i realise it is a little bit late now but we sometimes spread a bed of mortar across the top of the beam before offering it into place. this then gets squashed out and forms a tight connection.

the next best thing will be slate packers.
 
Ok then, it will have to be slate. I've got plenty from the roof, although it won't do for the very narrow bits. I suppose I can push in some muck for those bits?

Anyhow, I'll just have to get on with it. It'll take a while!

Thanks
 
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Ok then, it will have to be slate. I've got plenty from the roof, although it won't do for the very narrow bits. I suppose I can push in some muck for those bits?

we are talking roofing slate here not the generic 'slates' or roof tiles. genuine standard slate is about 5mm thick and can be thinner and would penetrate far deeper than you could hope to feed mortar in.
 
I'm talking natural roofing slate. What I have is 5mm thick, so only thin enough for half of what I'm packing out. I'd have to go down the scrappy for some thinner stuff. I'll still need to fill the 1-2mm gaps, so thought that sand and cement, or some other compound, was the best option. Incidentally, I can get to both sides of both steels.
 
like the other guy said its best to lay a bed of motar on the steel before it goes up but if its only 5mm,fill in all the gaps you can and point the rest up with 3-1 motar
i wouldnt worry about about 1-2mm because its going to settle anyway
 
Ok, finished now. I managed to split a thick slate in two for the thinner bits and used 3:1 for the rest. Messy job (muck everywhere!) but done it now. :D

Thanks for the suggestions.

Spike
 

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