Concrete block buildings.

MarsFab

MarsFab

Will work for money
Joined
Oct 24, 2007
Location
Harrisburg, NC
Why don't you see concrete block buildings anymore. Has it gotten that expensive or are the cracks in the joints I see on older block buildings a sign that they just don't hold up as well as steel? For years I've contemplated moving my shop to my house for various reasons, I I look at what I've basically thrown in the dumpster by paying rent for all these years and I see that I could have built and paid for my dream shop at least one and a half times already.
I like the idea of concrete block walls and steel or wood trusses but I never hear mention about it. Ever. Is it really that bad?


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I considered it for my shop, but the cost was too high. Figuring a 32x40 with 12ft walls, that's 24 blocks deep, 30 blocks wide, 18 blocks tall, which works out to about 2000 blocks. Going rate is about $1.40/block, plus mortar/rebar/wire plus labor. So at least $2/block, figure $4000 minimum. Then you still may need stud wall for holding insulation if block isn't enough insulation.

I did pole building style with a 6x6 post every 10ft, 2x6 girts, and steel panels. $400 in posts, $500 in 2x6s, and $900 in panels and screws, so that's $1800 plus some miscellaneous crap rounds up to $2000.

I ended up going a little bigger and taller, but the costs still scale about the same.

Another thing for me was that I laid the block on my house. That was 24ftx24ft by about 5ft high, and I swore I'd never do it again.

I also did steel roof trusses every 10ft with 2x6s on edge and steel panels because I got a great deal on used trusses. But wood vs steel was about the same price new.

If I had it to do over, I'd do regular studwalls instead of girts, but I'm pretty happy with everything else.
 
I think cost is one reason and another in my eyes is running the electrical and plumbing inside the walks is harder and putting it on the inside of your wall exposed to everything isn't ideal. Also adding on to the building becomes a littletter more difficult also as well as creating a new opening, say if you want to add a door between the old and new sections.
 
Mostly has to do with cost. Metal building companies have advanced now a days where you can buy a building kit and once on site, have a building up in a week or 2. It's hard to do that with block!

Metal buildings look so much better than block unless you are using split face cmu but that adds more costs.
 
Hanging anything on the wall in a block shop sucks compared to wood framing. I have a block shop at my house and will never have another.
 
Rockcity and Matt pretty much covered it. Except block/brick cost 3.00 a piece to lay plus cost of brick block around here. We just put up a metal building 60x110 in about two weeks once footers were in. That's wired and insulated. Alot of big storage facilities now do trip on Concrete walls. Pour the slab use it as a form use a 2x6 for the sides pour it let it cure then use a crane to pick it up and you can have up to a 60ft wall

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Stuntman Autoworks said:
I think cost is one reason and another in my eyes is running the electrical and plumbing inside the walks is harder and putting it on the inside of your wall exposed to everything isn't ideal. Also adding on to the building becomes a littletter more difficult also as well as creating a new opening, say if you want to add a door between the old and new sections.
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As long as the masons don't fill your webs with trash then you can cut in the boxes and drop Mc cable down the webs. It's not to bad.
 
rockcity said:
Mostly has to do with cost. Metal building companies have advanced now a days where you can buy a building kit and once on site, have a building up in a week or 2. It's hard to do that with block!

Metal buildings look so much better than block unless you are using split face cmu but that adds more costs.
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I am going to use traditional Wood framing myself. Having said that, block is forever. No termites, no rust. You see old cinder block building still standing and with a fresh coat of paint will look as good as new.
 
MarsFab said:
Why don't you see concrete block buildings anymore. Has it gotten that expensive or are the cracks in the joints I see on older block buildings a sign that they just don't hold up as well as steel? For years I've contemplated moving my shop to my house for various reasons, I I look at what I've basically thrown in the dumpster by paying rent for all these years and I see that I could have built and paid for my dream shop at least one and a half times already.
I like the idea of concrete block walls and steel or wood trusses but I never hear mention about it. Ever. Is it really that bad?


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Comercial buildings are very often block with brick veneer.
 
Block walls are more secure, and there are no concerns of fire from welding slag or grinder sparks, so those are big pluses.

Loganwayne said:
block/brick cost 3.00 a piece to lay plus cost of brick block
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Based on that, using my example, you're looking at about $9,000-10,000 for block vs $2,000 for wood/steel. But it will last forever, and you only have to pay it once.
 
Block has no insulating value, and is hydrophilic. Plus labor intensive. Bigger warehouses and stuff are cheaper in tilt concrete, and you have more options for exterior finishes.
 
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