Dear Naira Landers,

I urgently seek your considered and much-valued opinions on the practicality of building a house with 5-inch blocks.

I had this idea to develop a piece of land in Benin, some months ago, and completely left the block-making to a "trusted"and supposedly knowledgeable relative. Long story short, I ended up with about 4,000 blocks, all of 5 inch depth or thickness.

Now it's time to start the actual build, an architect tells me that using 5-inch blocks for the build would NOT make for a structurally sound building. Apparently, the 5 inch blocks are only good for fence-making.

I wonder if I could buy some 9 inch blocks for the footing and up to the DPC and then carrying on with the 5 inch blocks. No, I'm not building a two storey house - just a bungalow for family dwelling.

Your considered advice and opinions are welcome.

Nawaya:
Dear Naira Landers,

I urgently seek your considered and much-valued opinions on the practicality of building a house with 5-inch blocks.

I had this idea to develop a piece of land in Benin, some months ago, and completely left the block-making to a "trusted"and supposedly knowledgeable relative. Long story short, I ended up with about 4,000 blocks, all of 5 inch depth or thickness.

Now it's time to start the actual build, an architect tells me that using 5-inch blocks for the build would NOT make for a structurally sound building. Apparently, the 5 inch blocks are only good for fence-making.

I wonder if I could buy some 9 inch blocks for the footing and up to the DPC and then carrying on with the 5 inch blocks. No, I'm not building a two storey house - just a bungalow for family dwelling.

Your considered advice and opinions are welcome.

Your Architect is right... use those 5 inch blocks for your fence if you haven't done the fence.
For bungalow with or without pillars I always prefer 9 inch hollow block on the outside wall and may be 6 inch inside for demarcations, but if you can go all the way with 9 inch hollow block it will be superb.
Many people also uses 6inch hollow blocks for bungalow but I personally prefer 9 inch blocks.
Just my unprofessional opinion.

Hajji M.

mufutau55:


Your Architect is right... use those 5 inch blocks for your fence if you haven't done the fence.
For bungalow with or without pillars I always prefer 9 inch hollow block on the outside wall and may be 6 inch inside for demarcations, but if you can go all the way with 9 inch hollow block it will be superb.
Many people also uses 6inch hollow blocks for bungalow but I personally prefer 9 inch blocks.
Just my unprofessional opinion.

Hajji M.

Thanks, Hajji, for that quick and kind response. If I understand your point, 5 inch blocks would be unsuitable even for the internal walls, right?

Nawaya:



Thanks, Hajji, for that quick and kind response. If I understand your point, 5 inch blocks would be unsuitable even for the internal walls, right?

u can use 5 inch block for internal walls...

i have seen many houses built with 5 inches block in benin recently, without 9inch on the exterior.

but it is safer structurally to use 9 inches on d exterior since it is 5inch.

if it were to be 6inch, u wouldn't be needing 9 inches.

Nawaya:

Thanks, Hajji, for that quick and kind response. If I understand your point, 5 inch blocks would be unsuitable even for the internal walls, right?

You may use it for the internal demarcations if they are not solid; only because it's a bungalow.
But if you have pillars incorporated then I won't advise it because of the pillar size.

Hajji M.