Renovations

[Brighton G]

Dear all

I'm just about to start the construction of a free standing garage next to our house in 36.We have some experience of building the front wall in the concrete blocks with the honeycomb structure and we are going to use the same type of block for the garage except they will be 150mm wide rather than 200mm. We already have the base in, which was completed last year. I have a couple of technical questions that some of you out bthere may be able to help us with.

1. The dimensions of the garage are 4.5 metres by 4.0 metres, single storey with a sloping roof. After the first course or so I will have largist gaps in the perpins (if that is how you spell it). What do macons normally do to fill these gaps. The blocks are OK to cut in half but more difficult to cut shorter without them disintegrating.

1. I am assuming that I put steel in the hollow bit of the blocks where the reveal will be constructed. The pair of doors are quite heavy and they sit on three pins bedded into the reveal for each door leaf. They are a bit like giant shutters with the same ironmongery. Do I bed the door pins as I build the wall up, or bed them in after by chiselling out slots for them?

I have looked at a number of French websites but to no avail. Any pointers would be very welcome.

Graham. Brighton and 36 (Cuzion)