Brick built compost bins - help?

More beginner's questions, sorry! we've decided that the best way to go will be to build a nice solid brick compost bin (or rather three, to allow turning etc) rather than pallets as we originally were aiming for, so we don't have to replace it in a couple of years time. Now I'm ok brick laying as my grandfather is a great teacher! But I was just wondering - do I need to leave a few "gaps" in th ebrickwork to allow ventilation, or just build them solid? I was thinking of building them with 3 full height walls, then the front being half height with a wooden hatch kind of thing to allow easy access, as I'm quite short

Thanksn for any advice

 

linzibean scroll down on this link..It may help
http://counties.cce.cornell.edu/chemung/publications/building-compost-bins.pdf

 

That's great, thank you, lots of really good ideas there - bit worried about having no mortar though!

 

I would morter the bricks and fit runners for slats at the front if I made one. I don't think it would stand for long once full otherwise.

 

I`d be inclined to mortar them as well. If you get a bit enthusiastic turning the heap there will be bricks everywhere. :D

 

Got to agree with Paladin about about mortaring, though I don't see the point of full size walls and half height hatch. If the 'box' is lower at the front the full height of the walls will be wasted as there is a limit to how much slope you can get on freshly stacked compost. A slight slope to walls and addition of a roof or cover would be worth thinking about, as a cover to a heap allows you to regulate the moisture content.

 

I'll definately be covering them, I have some wood earmarked for the job. I was just wondering when in bed last night (sad I know!), wouldn't all the gaps in it attract rats and things to nest there? I know there wouldn't be anything that tempting there for them unless they took a liking to carrot peelings and green waste, but I'm getting chickens and I don't really want to encourage pests if I can avoid it.

Definately agree about the mortaring - don't want my hard work to fall down at the first sight of some vegetable matter!

 

Regular turning of the heap will discourage unwelcome guests,but as you know what not to put in it, I'm sure the only critters visiting will be mice after a nibble on juicy peelings.

 

Mice we can handle, we have a resident owl who sorts them out for us

 

Definately mortar them. Personally Id probably do it in breze blocks and render the sides as blocks are quicker to lay.

For the side slats use tanalised 4x1 slotting into a rebated section of 3x3 or similar. Easy to do a rebate if youve a roueter or circ saw but if not use a 2x1 batten screwed onto a 4x1.

 

Thans a nice link Paladin - it just goes to show that there many ways to do it. The ideal is to really get some heat in there, but I read somewhere that you need something like a ten foot cube to get a proper hot compost heap. And thats beyond most people.