Building gable walls plumb

[booky1]

Hi, I'm part way through building an extension. I've reached eaves level and now need to build the gable wall (10.5m long at the base and 3m high at the peak with a movement joint in the outer leaf).

So far, I've been happy building up the corners using a level/ storey board then filling in to a string line. At this stage the building is square and plumb.

Trouble is, now I've run out of corners to build I don't know which is the best way to ensure that the gable wall is built in line and plumb? All I can think of is using the level and storey board again but starting in the middle. I suppose I could do it this way but I feel a lot more comfortable when I have a string line to work to.

Any alternative methods/tips would be greatly appreciated.

P.S. I'm no threat to you professional brickies out there, on a good day I can only lay about two dozen blocks!

 

[^woody^]

First fix a straight edge to each end corner, and pull the lines off these - this may get you up 1-1.5m or so.

Next as you rack the gable back, on each end construct a brick dead-man (6 bricks laid vertically) or a block laid on end, and these will be in effect 'little corners' which you put you lines on to run the gable in. Make sure these are plumb off the face of the wall

As the gable gets higher/smaller, move the dead-man up the wall

The rougher brickies will nail a timber batten to the face of the wall and pull the line off this

 

[The-brickie]

I put up profiles on each corner, 4 x 2, and mark out a gauge on them, pull a line between and lay to that. (Thats me then Woody, lol)

Also you need (as fastneattrowel has said) the roof timbers up to get the pitch of the roof and do the cuts. Done by fixing battens top and bottom of at least two rafters closest to wall you wish to build.

Everything can then be put in plumb and gauged then all you do is lay!

 

[noseall]

if its a cloaked gable with no ladder set or barge boards, then i hope you have a sharp grinder or softish bricks!

if it is a traditional roof with barge boards make sure you have the barge noggings fixed first. same with the trusses and ladder set.

we cut the blockwork up first (sounds backwards i know) as access onto the loft joists can be a pain.

we then build small brick pyramids and line-in until we reach the peak.

if you are not having barge but showing the cut brick, then you can tack a lathe across the rafters, top and bottom of the pitch, overhanging the lathe enough to wind the line. the cut bricks can be scribed to the line.

 

[The-brickie]

Had a set of Blakes building profiles for internal corners and gables, managed to lay and cut over 500 bricks in a gable and back up the blocks in a day with them. So easy.

 

[fastneattrowel]

Had a set of Blakes building profiles for internal corners and gables, managed to lay and cut over 500 bricks in a gable and back up the blocks in a day with them. So easy.

true . was they expensive?

 

[noseall]

p.s. don't forget to fix any galvanized restraint straps, across the rafters, with solid bridging (noggins).

 

[fastneattrowel]

p.s. don't forget to fix any galvanized restraint straps, across the rafters, with solid bridging (noggins).

one time noseall we were allowed to build the restraint straps into the block work ,isnt this allowed now?

 

[The-brickie]

Had a set of Blakes building profiles for internal corners and gables, managed to lay and cut over 500 bricks in a gable and back up the blocks in a day with them. So easy.

true . was they expensive?

Back in the day, was with a gang so we all chipped in, work dried up so we all did our own thing... I ended up with the profiles for internals and the others got the corner ones.... So cant be sure how much they were, sorry.

Always in Pro builder mag.

 

[noseall]

yes, restraints int blockwork.

my concerns were if the o.p. followed my advice and overhanded the blockwork up first.

 

[^woody^]

Oh please forgive me.

I thought the question was how to build a brick gable. Not how to cut the verge to rake or building in the gable timber ladder.

What happens when the table lift goes up and you can't get to the timber end profiles to move the line up?

And the problem with building little pyramids is that a six course deadman will get you up, well six courses by laying six bricks. A pyramid will require 21 bricks to be laid and the first course would be six bricks long!

And as for " ... any way no ones sees if its plumb up there hey why a gauge rod lol cant you judge a 10m bed and get the tape out every other 3 or 4 courses" - obviously any "brickie" who talks like this tends to never see a scaffold or gable - as they are rarely let out of the footings!

Obvoiusly there is a trades description issue with a name like "FCT". May I suggest "fastcleantrowelbutoutofplumbandoutofgaugewallsandpossiblyoutofleveltoo"? Sorted

Listen to the handyman, I've done all this on my YTS

 

[NS215]

profiles are the future, very quick and easy to set up(much quicker than building a corner, just keep checking it for plumb every 5/6 courses) think blakes profiles are about £180 for an external pair but the last company i worked for bought us a couple of pairs which was nice of them

 

[AtoZ]

op

4x2 wooden profiles would be best for you but any of the ways mentioned here would work.

blakes are brilliant, they will force you to change your thinking.

i know aussies clamp 50mm square section direct to the plumbed brickwork with clamps and lay direct to that. i thought it would be rubbish but it worked out ok.

fast-n-neat.
blakes do not cause hatching and grinning anymore than a normal line would. hatching is caused by someone not taking care.
antway, since you realise it could happen then dont let it happen to you when you get your set. cos you will get some one day.
..........
i vote for a roof structure first.

 

[booky1]

Hi, it's the OP again.

All this advice has been really great it's enabled me to make a decision.

I'm going to invest in a pair of Blakes external building profiles (best price I can get is £130 which I think is OK as I've another extension to build on the other side when this one's finished). When I get above the height of the profiles I'll use blocks as 'dead men' and string between them to build the remaining triangle.
I wasn't' too keen on building the corner 'pyramids' as it's too much building without a string (outside my comfort zone - more suited to you pros).

Unfortuneately I can't use a truss as a gable profile, it's a cut roof which is all supported off one central steel ridge beam which in turn, obviously, is supported by the gable.
Instead, I intend to find the center (ridge) position of the roof and mark it on the end wall built so far (it's not in the middle of the wall as the roof is going to overhang at the front of the extension to form a canopy) then, I'll make a template to match the pitch of the roof on the existing house (the extension roof has to match) and use it to 'roughly' set the gable profile whilst ensuring I don't build above where I think the bottom of the rafters are going to be.
When I get somewhere close to the top I should then be able to temporarily position the ridge beam and a pair of rafters which should finally give me the gable profile.
I do need to fit a gable ladder. Doing it this way should ensure that I don't go beyond the bottom of the rafters in the early 'rough build' stage although, as both the inner and outer leaves are in aerated blocks it's no big deal if I have to cut a few blocks that I've already laid.

Anyway, thanks very much for all your input, it's been really useful.

 

[^woody^]

But how many of the 100 will be level, plumb and to gauge?

Like this one?

These "100 bricks on the corners" .... is that one corner from DPC up to the soffit, or two corners just up to 1st floor joist height

I'm just curious how you build in the east, as we tend to earn more laying [good] bricks to the line rather than mess about with expensive corners.