Dry Stack Block Retaining Wall Construction

The hollow core design combines with mortarless construction to allow water to drain freely from behind the segmental retaining wall.
Dry stack block retaining wall construction. Typical applications for mortarless concrete masonry include basement walls foundation walls retaining walls exterior above grade walls internal bearing walls and partitions. For this 18 inch high wall the footing should be at least 18 inches wide. Excavate to a depth of 6 inches along the entire base of the stone retaining wall using the string marker as a guide. Before applying the surface bonding cement dampen the surface of the block.
Step 7 thoroughly dampen the block wall with water dry block will draw the water from the mix making it difficult to finish and can cause inconsistent color and cracking especially in. For a stacked block retaining wall that s no higher than four feet a trench filled with three inches of crushed rock will help keep the wall from shifting and settling. Use a hand or power tamper to level the base. Incidental water moves easily through a vertical drain that is formed by the layer of wall rock placed behind the block and in the block cores.
For dry stack walls the base should be as wide as the wall is tall. But it takes skill and planning to construct an attractive wall that can also handle immense pressure shrug off the forces of gravity stand for decades and laugh in the face of mother nature. This will aid in the adhesion of the material to the block and will also eliminate the otherwise dry. Remember to stack the blocks so that the vertical joints stager.
The dry stack construction technique allows the incidental water to escape by flowing around the blocks and out the. The interlocking retaining wall block can be used to build walls up to 24 to 36 inches high depending on the size of the block. Anyone with a strong back can stack up a bunch of blocks and build a pretty retaining wall. Once the first course is set dry stack the remaining block in a running bond pattern to the desired height all corners should use an interlocking pattern.
You will need some mortar to create a solid foundation for your wall but we ll cover that later. A dry stack wall is a block wall that doesn t need mortar to hold it together. Avoid having downspouts pointed at the retaining wall and if it s against the house keep soil and mulch well below the siding. Throughout the block stacking phase and at the completion check that the wall has remained level.