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How long do I have to wait for the footing to dry/cure/harden before laying 100mm blocks? Highest level will be four high laid flat. I am looking to finish before the good weather breaks. Cheers

THanks again. I really am feeling chuffed with understanding. The system is utilising a combi boiler so pumps on the showers are definitely out. To be honest with only three of us in the house it should not be difficult to organise (one is only 10 weeks old) and I have been living with that...

THanks. Although you have not given me a smiley face sticker I think you have confirmed my understanding of the balancing valve. I am absolutely sure you are right regarding the HA and the link is excellent re an explanation. Primarily my question was an academic one. I am pretty sure the...

The problem is the age old one of being in the shower and someone else runs water, this will reduce the pressure in either hot or cold flow. Am I right in thinking that all the balanced pressure valve does is to maintain the BALANCE of the hot and cold feed to the shower head as set by the...

THanks for the advice. I spoke to Sandtex and they said that they would not be able to guarantee the paint not becoming 'blown' due to the moisture coming through the wall from the retained soil.

As part of a landscaping project I have built a number of retaining walls using concrete blocks. I had the choice of using sleepers for a softer look but could not afford them. Although I can live with the colour and finish I thinkl that the overall effect would be improved by 'colouring' the...

Thanks Just got back in from covering it. No point asking for advice and then ignoring it but ..... Always like to understand the logic. Is it covered to stop any dilution of the mortar (albeit only the outer parts) or because it will take longer to cure or some other reason?

Very basic question. Building a wall, should take a couple of weeks. Do I need to cover it if rain forecast?

I am going to use the coarse sand on the first level bonded to the footing. It is the slowest (for me) laying level. That should use it all up. Cheers

Thanks for the link to ancon Freddy. Bit more to this wall building lark than at first appears. I am using 190mm blocks and I think I will take the advice of Static and leave it as two separate walls.

Roughcaster Thanks for taking the time to reply unfortunately I do not understand what you are talking about. My ignorance not your explanation. The 60cm high retaining wall that I will build is 11.5 metres long hence why I thought I needed a 'control' joint. Can I build it without any break...

Your right Neo I do use 5:1. Unable to divide 20 by 4!!

I have a good quantity of coarse sand left over from laying a flagstone path. Can I use it either instead of building sand for my mortar or as part of the sand mix? I am using it to lay concrete blocks and the look is of no consequence.

I foolishly thought that a control joint in a wall was no more than a break in the wall but now I have read the book more closely it explains that I should use flat galvanised steel pieces to bridge the gap. Seems to make sense but it says that the steel should be embedded in the mortar with...

A 3 to 1 mix is very strong. I have used 5 to 1 for a normal wall in a moderate climate. As for quantities I understand that a cubic metre of sand (other ingredients in proportion) is about right for 2000 concrete blocks. I always buy ballast (ie aggregate and sand) and use a 4 to 1 mix with...

Thanks for the advice and info. Got my butt into gear and laid the lot in one go today. I used a mixer and once the rhythmn was established it went well. Recovering tomorrow. Will consider the ready mixed version next time. Cheers

My understanding for putting control joints in a concrete 'pad' ie one which is on the surface, is because it will be exposed to temperature variations and the joint allows for expansion and contraction. Therefore concrete footings for a wall do not need control joints because they are (of the...

I knew you guys would come up with answers which give the meaning behind the data. I feel more confident now that I will not be wasting my time with the extra digging. Re-read the book re the mix - agreed. I am sure I will be back. Cheers all

Now that I have got my walls set out I just need a bit advice/general thoughts on the foundations. Two points really 1. How do you know when you have dug to a suitably stable piece of ground? I know - how long is a piece of string. Any thoughts would be useful. 2. Surprisingly...

Multiply all sides by the same factor difference and it works for any lengths. Anyway as I said to Freddy in message three I bought the tape measure and did the job in five minutes. The mark one eyeball was at least 10 cm out. Cheers all.