Brick Half height help

[flibberflops]

I've made a bit of a boo, boo while building a conservatory....

A have created my foundations and they match exactly the 3 courses of brick work up to the DPC on my house. However, just as I was just about to start the brickwork I have realised that my existing house bricks are actually thicker than todays standard 75mm bricks! (Doh).

The result is, my house brick three brick course is 270 mm up to the DPC and the standard engineering bricks will only give me 225mm up to the DPC. Giving me a short fall of approx 45mm !!

Unfortunately the DPC does have to match the house exactly (due to the conservatory roof height issues which I won't go into).

Any suggestions how I make up the 45mm difference?

I was thinking cutting a load of brick to half height?

Someone else suggested that I lay the first brick course on its side to give the extra height, however I am not sure that is acceptable for engineering bricks that the 3 vertical holes through out the brick?

My other thought was using 100mm dense block as the first course?

To be honest I am not sure of what is the most appropriate solution?

(btw, if it makes any difference the conservatory is a 380mm Dwarf wall)

 

[masona]

750mm bricks!

Did you mean 75mm

I'm not quite what you mean, can you do a photo?

You don't have to match the brick line to your house unless you're teeing the brickwork into your house

 

[flibberflops]

Yes sorry, I meant 75mm Bricks.

Here is a pic...

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y145/dirtygirldf/brick.jpg

like i said, foolishly I set the foundations to match the 3 courses of brickwork, not realising the house uses old 90mm(ish) bricks!

I know I don't have to match the brick line to the house. However, I do need to match the DPC to the house because I have got high patio door and measuring the roof slope of the new conservatory (using the house DPC as the the reference point) I am quite close to the roof cutting across the patio door frame on one side. Obviously if I drop the DPC level, the whole conservatory will be lower giving me major headaches later on.

I suppose I could go an extra course higher but that would raise the conservatory floor 30mm higher than the house. Not an ideal solution?

 

[noseall]

lay a course of dense 7n concrete blocks flat and build on top of these.

 

[^woody^]

You want two course showing, so you may see part of the first course above ground level if you use blocks

Either lay a bed of strong 3:1 mortar or screed sand/cement on the foundation concrete to get you up to 225 below dpc, or lay a course of clay roof tles first, or lay a brick on edge first (this is acceptable)- you may see these, but at least they will match the rest of the wall

Or get some London commons and you can split these length ways.

Its very easy to sort it out underground

 

[gangman]

Like woody suggested, split some bricks. Also it will help get over any humps and dips in your founds.

 

[IJWS15]

You can still get the thick bricks (We got them from Salvesen) so easiest route might be to get some of them for below DPC.

Use the modern ones above - unlikely anyone will ever notice!