The first method was to use a brick hammer along the cut line, and after a few well-place whacks it would break. It was often necessary to cut the last block of a section or in order to stagger the joints on the next course of block, and they used two different methods. They would bend a wall tie in place, nail it to the foundation and embed the rest of the tie in the joint between blocks. Keeping the corners square is very important, and the guys employed a little trigonometry (3-4-5 Pythagorean triple) to double-check their measurements.Įvery 2-3 courses, the guys used wall ties and nails to anchor the block wall to the existing foundation. Here’s a look at how the concrete footer steps down and the guys laid the block. Pro-Tip: Joints should measure 1/2″ and the width of a finger is a good approximation.Īfter each section, excess mortar and broken pieces of block were used to fill the corners for additional reinforcement. Using the chalk line as a reference, the guys laid a bed of mortar and began laying block.Įach block was checked for level and that it followed the string. Pro-Talk: The bracket for securing a string is called a dogbone or line-stretcher.Īt times they also used a wooden corner block. Once the corners were in place, Victor’s crew would run a string along the top corner of the block and use that as a guide for the rest of that section. Often, the guys would run a long metal beam with a level on top (not pictured) to check that the corners were in line with each other. If you look closely, you’ll notice the corner blocks are slightly different with a finished outside corner. For that reason it was really important that the corners be perfect because they act as a reference for the rest of that section of wall. Pro-Tip: Concrete blocks measure 8″ x 16″ including the joint.Īfter the guys cleaned the footer with a foxtail brush, they would strike a chalk line.įor each section, Victor’s crew would start at the corners and work their way into the middle. Next, they would mark out each section and calculate the number of blocks per section. Pro-Tip: Wet the tubs before adding the mortar to help prevent it from drying out.įrom the blueprints, Victor and his crew determined the location of the foundation walls. Then they would shovel the cement in to large tubs for the block layers. The guys used a gas-powered mixer to mix sand, water and type-S masonry cement. Here’s how everything looked after the concrete cured and a little bit of rain. If you missed it, read up on how Victor’s team dug the footers, laid rebar and poured the footers at those links. If you remember, Steve brought in Victor and his team from Luciano Cristofaro Contractors to build the foundation, and today’s article shares how they built the block wall foundation. If you have any questions or problems registering online, please contact us via the website or see a staff member in-branch for help.It’s time for another Pro-Follow update as we follow along with contractor Steve Wartman and his crew. We also offer self-build accounts, so if you are not a tradesperson but are planning a self-build project, we can still supply you with the bulk concrete blocks you need. Just upgrade your web login using your Jewson Account number to unlock access to your usual trade prices. Trade customers can benefit from personalised prices when you bulk buy concrete blocks on the Jewson website. If you are building masonry that needs to attach to a cavity wall carcass or you want to tie two skins of masonry together, our wall & frame ties are the solution.įor an estimate of how many concrete blocks you will need for your project, use our Brick & Block Calculator, which can work with standard block sizes or custom breeze block dimensions. Whatever you are building, make sure you have sand and cement so that you can mix the correct concrete or mortar for the job. Together, these make it possible to construct a wide range of different walls and structures, from load-bearing, to decorative, to retaining walls built using lightweight blocks. We also have hollow blocks such as breeze blocks and cinder blocks, which are a versatile choice for many different applications. These include lightweight blocks suitable for external walls, as well as dense blocks more appropriate for load-bearing needs and structural walls. Jewson concrete blocks cater to a variety of different applications, so that you can get the building supplies you need for your upcoming project.
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