Building with paving stones

skysurfer666 · 15 Oct 2013

I would like to erect a garden building with some double glazing windows and a domestic double glazed door somebody threw out.
I was going to make the walls from timber but I have a load of unused concrete slabs around and wondered if it is possible to use these for walls.
For the two walls without the windows or door ,my idea is to build some sort of timber frame with uprights which match the size of the slabs and angle it slightly forward so the slabs can be placed on top of one another rather like bricks - like an upright patio.
Maybe I could even build the walls completely upright if I could think of a way to secure the slabs to the frame - or maybe some mortar between the slabs?
Has anyone ever done this? It seems a way of using up a load of unused slabs.
I'm not quite sure how to fill in the corners (because of the sloping walls) - has anybody any ideas about this rather crazy concept?

big-all · 15 Oct 2013

are these slabs structural and desinged for walls
or paving slabs
if paving slabs no go

skysurfer666 · 15 Oct 2013

They are normal paving slabs usually used flat on the ground.
It just seems as pity there's no way to use them structurally rather like they do in those prefabricated concrete garages.....

Alastairreid · 15 Oct 2013

I know there is no reinforcing in the slabs but if the frame was substantial enough, you would need foundations, a bed between the slabs, and the slabs drilled and fixed to the frames....You could then mesh and render it...maybe.

Shoot me down big al

skysurfer666 · 15 Oct 2013

I'd forgot about the lack of reinforcement in the slabs - maybe it would be all too much trouble.
I got the idea after using five large slabs to make a kind of outdoor fire pit.
I raised one slab horizontally on some bricks to make the hearth with a grill on bricks above that, and then placed four upright slabs around binding them with wire. It looks like a large stone open topped box.
It's ideal to burn garden rubbish or to fill with bits of timber and sit around with friends. Far cheaper than those fancy fire pits you buy in stores.
But as you guys suggest - it seems using slabs to build anything more substantial seems more trouble than it's worth.....
Thanks anyway

Alastairreid · 15 Oct 2013

skysurfer666 said:
after using five large slabs to make a kind of outdoor fire pit.

We were burning an old shed on top of a concrete slabbed patio, the surface of the slabs started exploding like shotgun blasts (must have been the moisture trapped below the surface of the slabs heating up) it blew the contents of the fire across the garden....

....lesson learned.

skysurfer666 · 15 Oct 2013

Now you've got me worried!
I've had several fires in my pit so far with no problems.
Maybe I've burned off all the moisture?
Hope your experience was a one off - but thanks for the warning.

big-all · 15 Oct 2013

alastairreid said:
I know there is no reinforcing in the slabs but if the frame was substantial enough, you would need foundations, a bed between the slabs, and the slabs drilled and fixed to the frames....You could then mesh and render it...maybe.

Shoot me down big al

you could use them but its the old saying why re-invent the wheel with all the hit and miss mistakes
you could use concrete posts with slots but then the load may fracture the bottom slab with the extra load who knows

joe-90 · 15 Oct 2013

There's no reason at all you can't do it. You don't need reinforcement for compression. You guys live in an alternative reality.

Alastairreid · 15 Oct 2013

Why is concrete panel garages reinforced then.

big-all · 15 Oct 2013

joe-90 said:
There's no reason at all you can't do it. You don't need reinforcement for compression. You guys live in an alternative reality.

the man is trying to use the materials to hand and good on him for doing so
the problem we have with a wooden frame you will get all sorts off problems using slabs as they wont protect the wooden frame like cladding will as the frame would be exposed
the structural strength you normally get with screwed on cladding will be missing so additional bracing timbers will be needed
because the structure is also heavier than normal the support for the walls will have to be greater

you get the difficulty off sealing up the slabs in a neat way in a fashion that wont be damaged by the movement off the wood

mixing and matching materials like this is giving you the problems off both with with no extended life without maintainance off the purely concrete version

joe-90 · 15 Oct 2013

alastairreid said:
Why is concrete panel garages reinforced then.

To stop it breaking if you hit it from the side. Do you know nuffink?

Alastairreid · 15 Oct 2013

joe-90 said:
Do you know nuffink?

Well i know concrete panels need reinforcing...

joe-90 · 15 Oct 2013

They are much thinner than slabs, Do you know nuffink?

Alastairreid · 15 Oct 2013

joe-90 said:
Do you know nuffink?

I know why anne has water ingress

....... you dont

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Building with paving stones

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