Building a Garden Shed from Standard Breeze Blocks

I'm not a structural eng, but offer the following comments.

"Breeze" blocks are a well understood engineering material and I'm sure that a properly designed shed could be constructed using them as a major portion of the walls.

Obviously there must be consideration for side loads, properly designed trusses for vertical load distribution and such and use of appropriate mortar.

We often see those blocks used for retaining walls and there are some "self storage" rental sites here that seem to be completely made from them.

For added strength I've seen the re-bar from foundations bent up and the blocks threaded onto these and then the hollow portions filled with concrete.

Your local council will have an expectaton of properly presented engineering drawings. Those engineers will provide the detail that you need to follow in the construciton including the foundations (cross section and depth plus type and size of re-inforcement) whether additional columns will be required, whether you need to "break" the wall with expansion joints and so on.

Yes it seems feasible, now you need to select a professional with local knowldge to provide the detail for you.

If I remember correctly, in the book, "The Owner- Built Home" by Ken Kern, he suggests using something like fibreglass shorts mixed in with the motar that is plastered on the stacked blocks.

Check out the book, as my mind is a little foogy on what he reccomends. It has been over 20 years since I read it.

Vic

I just came out of an adobe building class, and the chopped fiberglass reinforcement has "jumped the shark".

The cement additives contribute to strength, but it turns out fiber reinforcement didn't actually do much but make fuzzy blocks.

I really don't know at all what a breeze block is.

I know what a brick is, and what a cinderblock is, and also about some aircon blocks.

To skim with mortar on whatever does not impress me as improving structural integrity.

Is it a greenhouse or a bomb shelter you intend to build?

Who cares if the garden shed blows over?

I did build once an ad hoc greenhouse out of wood and plastic and some sakrete covered in 6 mil plastic.

It did not fall down.

I told the woman I built it for it would need to be recovered with plastic at least every two years.

Last I knew it did all right and helped her make some money on the non code skate till somebody noticed she was doing all right and demanded it be all torn down.

Block is either facial, just like vinyl siding, or clapboards, or bricks making really no structural addition to the structure at all, and only there to keep water out, or it is structural, which requires a suitable foundation, slurry, concrete fill, and rebar.

all in all skimming if whatever you build with mortar, is not likely to do a damn thing as far as the strength of the building.

If you were to suggest putting tin, or even OSB, around the thing horizontally and staggered, I may think it could do some beef up for the structure. But otherwise for most any wall stucco is the same as mortar, and not much good for something other than holding cinderblocks in place, with the aid of rebar.

Spilt bamboo is a good substitute for rebar, by the way.

P.S. Do you want light to get into the garden shed?

You have not stated which country you are in - that can make big differences, not on the structural integrity but on the planning permission needed.

Generally in the UK, a wooden structure of certain dimensions is treated as a temporary structure, and does not need planning permission. Once more solid walls are used, permissions are required.

Also, there are areas where any changes need permission - World Heritage Sites need permission for any structure - even decking, or new paths (regardless of material)!

It depends upon the foundations.

Garden sheds in this part of the world are usually timber, standing on the meanest of foundations, if any at all, depending upon ground conditions.

• A local garage structure built in "celcon" blocks turned out to be so heavy that it broke the concrete foundation slab, which happened to have had no reinforcing bar in it, in several places, to the point where the structure started to lean over. Demolition and rebuilding on proper foundations turned out to be an attractive solution, though one that required the local authority to become involved via the Planning process. The rebuild was part of a Planning application that encompassed other developments.

The local authority would become anxious about a breeze-block-built structure and may well prohibit its development on Planning Applcation grounds. No such concerns would be raised about a £300GBP timber shed, as the structure is, by its very method of construction, "temporary" and "removable".

So this issue is bigger than the posting would initially suggest!

I see no problems if properly built as someone has already fully mentioned, so I will not repeat the same infos here.

My only extra is that you should use rebar in every corner at at least every second layer to make it as stable as possible. Fill the voids with some sort of insulation material to keep cool in summer and not quite so cold in winter.

When making the roof, make sure that you insulate here as much as possible as well.....Double glazing for any windows is a very good idea.....Rebar to make it impossible for any thief to break in.......good strong door and frame.

Burglar alarm is a good idea too.....

There are special "nets" available here, that are used when a building is given extra insulation, to stabilize the outside when "Skimming". The nets are fastened using special plugs to cover the whole wall areas, overlapping by a foot or so, then the whole building is rendered...according to my builder, it greatly stabilizes the building..I may have some pictures of the work being done, if you want to see them just ask. I have no idea what they are called in English or German other than nets.....I think they are made of fiber glass, but don't quote me on that!.

Build it to last forever. You'll be glad you did.

40 years on, and an old man, you will say with pride,

"I built that."

Do it on the cheap for regrets.. on any permanent structure.

jt.

I said, come back in 100 years.. it just may need some tlc.

Having lived in South Florida in the US - one looks for houses built of cinderblock and not wood frame. Using correct mortar, a sound foundation, and appropriate reinforcement (our house the cinderblocks were stacked then filled with concrete) the structure should withstand almost anything. Our house had stucco on the outside - which after a severe hurricane chipped off - but the cinderblock walls showed no signs of problems. That said - I do not know if a cinderblock is the equivalent of a breeze block or not... however, good luck with your endeavor.

THAT THING GONNA FALL ON YOUR HEAD

If i dig a good foundation and use a good mix why will it fall down?

most people in my area have built garages this way

It won't fall down.....it will be rally stable.