Do not apply it to the space between the ears. Push the new block into the base block. Slide the block into the preceding block until their mortars meet. Repeat the same process for the rest of the first layer of cinder blocks. Spread 1 inch 2. Line the new block directly over the area, then gently place it on top of the mortar. Butter the ears of the next block and continue. Wipe any excess mortar off periodically. Use your trowel to scrape any protruding mortar from the side of your wall.
Do this every few blocks to make sure your mortar doesn't set before you have a chance to fix it. Part 3. Grab a half block. Your brick set should have half blocks included. This will help to stagger the layout of your bricks and make your wall sturdier.
You will also end each row with a half block. Half blocks are also known as corner blocks. Spread mortar on the footing and ear of the half block. Place it directly on top of your base block.
Continue to build out along your base, spreading mortar on both the ears and footing of each cinder block.
Check your base blocks often with a level. This will prevent you from building a crooked wall! Use a level often, every 10 minutes or so, so your mortar doesn't have a chance to harden before you can find and fix any issues.
Be sure to check vertically as well as horizontally. Once you can just barely dent the mortar with your thumb, it means the mortar is close to being set. Use the same technique to build the wall up. Repeat the buttering and laying blocks technique to build out the wall's second layer. Start the third layer with a regular cinder block and build out. Start the fourth layer with a half block, and continue starting layers with half blocks every other layer until your wall has reached the desired height.
Strike the joints with a rubber mallet or sledgehammer. This will help to solidify the bricks in place. Do this shortly after checking the mortar to make sure it has hardened somewhat, but not completely. Rubber mallets tend to produce more consistent results with less chance of causing damage. Strike the horizontal joints first using gentle pressure. Then strike the vertical joints gently.
Scrape off the excess mortar and strike both joints once more. Build up the corner with cinder blocks. Once your wall is blocks high, you're ready to turn the corner of your wall. Do the same things listed above, but remember to use alternating half blocks in either direction to make sure your wall remains sturdy.
Use a large level often to make sure the corners are plumb and square. Did you know you can get expert answers for this article?
Unlock expert answers by supporting wikiHow. Gerber Ortiz-Vega Masonry Specialist. Gerber Ortiz-Vega. Building with retaining wall block is a popular choice for DIY landscaping projects ranging from raised garden beds to taming hillsides and creating terraces or stairways. Not sure what you want to build? Here are some retaining wall ideas and inspiration projects.
For the DIY enthusiast, the good news is that most of the tools you will need to build retaining wall projects are common. Round point shovel This is helpful for when you have plants to move, digging and starting a footing. Square blade shovel Good for putting in aggregates like gravel or sand and grading the area. Hammers It may be helpful to have a mallet and a 5-pound maul to drive stakes into the ground. Pick You might not need this, depending on your type of soil.
Picks are useful to loosen hard and rocky soil. Caulking gun and adhesive These optional items will be useful if you want to glue finishing caps or add steps. This short video is part of an entire series of retaining wall installation videos that you can find on our website.
Skip to content. Step 1 Before beginning a retaining wall installation project, you first need to make sure you have the right tools for the job and have selected your retaining wall blocks. Step 2 Lay the base course of retaining wall blocks.
Step 3 Start placing the second course. Center each block on the seams of the first course. This will also help with the back fill behind the wall instead of hauling lots of dirt in. Cap off the wall. Now take the wall caps and glue them to finish off the wall. You will want the cap to overhang about an inch over the final row or about the length from the tip of your index finger to that first line or bend of the finger.
You may need to cut the cap with a cement saw to make the bend. Back fill and clean the area. Back fill behind the wall up to the top of the cap or just below it. Clean up the area in front of the wall to make it look good and prevent the base from washing out.
With a building permit, inspector assistance, multiple Inspections and many YouTube videos from professionals showing you every step. Sure, a 2-foot tall wall can be just 4x4s nailed into the ground with rebar, but anything more may actually kick you, legally, into a fully engineered and approved design.
Retaining walls must be built very specifically, or they will majorly detract from a property's value or threaten lives and others' property. Water's weight, dirt's weight and any kind of freeze and thaw is not a terribly easy set of problems to handle. Overall, water must be able to pass through and so as to never collect behind the wall. Yes No. Not Helpful 2 Helpful 4. Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. By using this service, some information may be shared with YouTube.
Submit a Tip All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published. You Might Also Like How to. How to. Co-authors: Updated: September 16, As you can see in the photos, the blocks are usually tapered to make moderate curves without needing to be cut.
Any retaining wall is a hard project requires a lot of digging and heavy lifting, but a curved wall is really no harder than a straight one. I want to build about a 4 foot high retaining wall that will be straight is some spots but also with some curves. I live outside Anchorage. My concern is not earthquakes, but more dealing with the frost heave affects.
Do you think the stackable block approach would work? Or do I need to use a foundation type approach? What is a good way to cut the blocks, I have been using a circular saw with a carbon blade mason then knocking it with a chisel it seems to work ok ,but is there a more accurate way to do it? I am building a retaining wall with stackable block.
It is curved on one end and then straight for about 35 feet. The straight portion goes up a slope. How do I get around this? It is preventing my wall from being straight. Also looking at how to make turns to finish into top of slope, landscape fabric used behind pavers, what mason adhesive for caps, as well as any other tips. They were easy to install — like other stackables, if you get the base nice and level, they just fit right into place.
I am building a retaining wall up a slope with stackable blocks. The ground from the bottom to the top is about 6 feet with a length of 22 feet curving around the house. I am going to put in about 6 terraces to allow for the slope and am making each section about 12 inches high to allow for clearance with the siding on the house. I am having a hard time estimating the number of blocks that will be buried for each terrace going into the hillside. Is there any formula as to how many blocks you have to build into hillside?
Hi, I would like to build a small retaining wall on either side of my driveway around the concrete drainage pipe. Is there anything I should be aware of with this project, or is it just a straight forward retaining wall as stated here. I am also attempting for the first time to put a retaining wall around the drainage pipe on either side of my drive way.
When I finally get it level at the very top there are open spaces in the areas where the blocks touch the pipe. I should say that once I get this wall completed if ever I will back fill with top soil and plant grass. I am almost to the point of getting a contractor to do the job…lol. Thanx for your help.
The tab causes the circle of each row to be smaller than the one below. Or what spacing would be better? Thank you. If so, how is it put in? The block retaining wall would have open spaces so I can plant flowers and to allow for any drainage. After i leveled 1st row, I started the second row with block centered over the seam of the lower.
I thought it should stay centered over seam all the way around since they are all same size, but instead as it went around it gradually was off more and more and not centered over seam even though I am putting them end to end in an almost perfect circle. How or why did this happen?
That would result in each row having a bit smaller diameter circle than the one above it, and since the blocks are the same length, the cumulative effect would be that it would take fewer blocks to make a circle, throwing the joints off. I have a retaining wall made with 4 x 4 cedar logs. It is pushing out. Can I replace it with stacking bricks?
It is a straight wall. I am building a retaining wall that is 2 course high plus cap do i need two bury one? I have a 1 foot retaining wall wood on the side of my driveway that needs replacing.
Can I replace it with stacking blocks if they are to sit on top of my blacktop driveway? The river rock comes out about 1 foot. How many blocks will I need to make a perfect circle? I researched on the internet how to do everything, and used over 40 tons of road gravel to backfill and compact as I built it. I notice in the morning several rows randomly will have an inch or two of wet area across several blocks. It varies to the right or left of the wall. This happens even when there has been no rain.
I am building a retaining wall with the larger block that have the lip on them. I am placing them on a flat concrete footer, do I start the first one with the lip up or down to get started level.
I would like to build a retaining wall maybe 2 -3 rows and need to know how many blocks I will need. How can I figure that out? I am having a concrete patio that is 12X22 poured and I would like to use stackable retaining wall stones to build a wall on three side of my patio. What I need is help on how to step the wall up a slope. No one seems to want to go into that. Can you describe the process for me? I am building a retaining wall 2 ft high.
I purchased cap blcoks. What is the best way to level the cap blocks? Should I remove the locking lip on the last row of blocks? Thanks for any info. Can I stack the landscaping blocks 6 high and then back fill or do I need to fill with each row to also fill the cavity?
I filled the cavity on the base row, but do I need to fill the cavity on every row after? Or can I stack all 5 rows without back filling until it is complete? Hi Roger, Your question was answered in the second hour of our June 2nd Homefront radio show. When re-baring my buddies work shop we had to HALF the rebar spacing in the flooring where he was placing his CNC machine, ton press, and cast iron lathe.
These are excessively heavy machines that need stability, but the 4 car bays and dyno pit used standard rebar spacing. Knowing how much rebar is in the pad, and how high total vertical weight per square foot the wall will be is necessary to know for sure. Two questions: 1 Can you start with a cheaper block underground like hollow concrete blocks instead of using one of the more expensive textured concrete blocks? Would this unnecessarily weaken the wall? I want to build a wall going down my driveway 72 ft about a 60 degree angle.
Can I still build the wall going on a slant.
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