Cob: Flooring thoughts

Sun Feb 2 14:39:18 CST 2003

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<P>Cat here, bought a building that had no roof for 2 thousand dollars.  40' x 60'x 3 story's.  just for the brick.  I'm in an area that is not going to cramp me about getting it down too soon so that is good, If you cannibalize a building for materials make sure you aren't going to get into any legal, insurance, asbestos situations.  There are 3 qualities of bricks in my building the hardest are good for exterior work and sometimes have what is called clinker quality.  that is they are sort of misshapen and can add character to your endeavors, but clinkers  will not lay as well having differing sizes to be adjusted by grout lines.  The next level are not as hard as the first but hold up well and have uniform size and shape and then the soft inner fill brick that will turn to powder after a few seasons of being exposed.   They are the brick that was furthest from the heat in the kiln.  Depending on your area you may be able to buy a load from a demolition company.  You will want to check out sizes to make sure your pattern will work, also some companies deliver on pallets so you get full bricks.  Others will dump a load from a demolition site, they won't be too careful so what isn't broken by the wrecking ball and loader may get smashed out of the dump truck.  I have seen loads where less than 50% made it, the rest was fill.  Saw in a book about brick paths laying 2 layers of brick to lock things in both horizontality and vertically, not sure if this has importance in an interior application?  Brick is not too easy to clean if it is unglazed, most put a sealant of who knows what petrochemical, if eggs are going to drop!  </P>
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<P><EM>for the good of all </EM>Cat <BR><BR></P>
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<DIV></DIV>>From: "jen walker" <JWALKER at MAGMA.CA>
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<DIV></DIV>>Reply-To: "jen walker" <JWALKER at MAGMA.CA>
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<DIV></DIV>>To: coblist at deatech.com 
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<DIV></DIV>>Subject: Cob: Flooring thoughts 
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<DIV></DIV>>Date: Fri, 31 Jan 2003 20:23:24 -0500 
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<DIV></DIV>>Hello out there, 
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<DIV></DIV>>about flooring. I read once that brick on sand was a good type of flooring 
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<DIV></DIV>>if one were putting pipes beneath that may need maintenance from time to 
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<DIV></DIV>>time 'cause you could just knock out a few bricks whereas with concrete 
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<DIV></DIV>>there'd be major difficulties and need of a jackhammer. Even granite 
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<DIV></DIV>>depending on how big the slabs were could be troublesome I imagine. We are 
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<DIV></DIV>>thinking of doing a strawbale insulated concrete floating slab for a 
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<DIV></DIV>>foundation (I don't relish the idea of so much concrete but digging a 6 ft 
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<DIV></DIV>>plus trench would sure have a major impact on a site also) and was wondering 
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<DIV></DIV>>how one might lay a sand/brick floor with pipes between concrete sub floor 
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<DIV></DIV>>and brick main floor. Can sand be tamped well enough that the bricks & 
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<DIV></DIV>>mortar wouldn't slip out of place. Would some sort of floor joist system be 
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<DIV></DIV>>required? The brick idea has lots of room for neat geometric designs also 
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<DIV></DIV>>and I bet old bricks could be easily found for cheap. 
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<DIV></DIV>> 
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<DIV></DIV>>Thanks a bunch, 
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<DIV></DIV>>Jen in the great white nearly north. 
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