Blocks are a perfectly safe and reasonable construction material, when used
for their intended purpose. I've seen cottages supported on stacks of
blocks that will probably outlast the wooden structures. (without seismic
assistance, that is). The problem is that they CAN crack or crumble,
especially when loaded unevenly, or when uneven pressure is applied to
them. This is often the situation when a car frame is bearing down on a
block. This makes them a poor choice for holding up cars. Don't kill
yourself. Spring for some jack stands. All the stories about how long
they have held up vehicles don't matter. It's still not safe. It's like
saying "I've smoked cigarettes for 50 years, I don't wear my seat belt, and
I'm still fine". That said, it may be possible to devise a safe flooring
system using these blocks. If I were going to go through all that trouble,
though, I'd use paving stones which are made for the purpose. Jim said
"I'll be putting it down on grass/dirt, and don't have time to do any
excavation, really don't feel like paying for nice pavers." I've found
that "not so nice" pavers can be had for less. Seconds are sometimes
available as well. Of course, the labor is still the same.
>geez, I never thought about a block crumbling. a guy down my friend's
>street has had an old chevy truck on 4 blocks in his backyard for as long
>as I've known her (about 11 years). I've been wondering about the
>condition of the sheet metal but the blocks look fine
/// unsubscribe/change address requests to majordomo@autox.team.net or try
/// http://www.team.net/mailman/listinfo
/// Archives at http://www.team.net/archive/shop-talk
|