Help on building front garden wall

[Matt1972]

Hello,

 

I am going to have a go at re-building my front garden wall.

 

It's about 3.6m wide and about 2m on the return to the house.

 

As I have no bricklaying experience I wanted to try it in block as this seems quicker and easier, however the design I want is proving to be tricky.

 

I've attached pics of the looks I am after, which is basically two piers, 5cm or so proud of the 215mm block work and then rendered, please see attached pics and my designs.

 

I've designed the block work to lock in together for extra strength rather then using ties to join piers to wall, you can't see it in the sketchup pic, but the block work bonds into the pier on course 1 and bonds from the other side.

 

Anyone got any suggestions to improve this, how's it normally done and is there an easier way, because i want the 5cm recess at the front it's proving the hardest part and there will be some tricky(ish) concrete brick cuts to form the pier.

 

Thanks.

 

[Russell griffiths]

If it’s going to be rendered and 215mm thick, just lay the blocks on there side, so you lay them flat I stead of two courses side by side. 

A lot easier for an amateur, no wobbly blocks they just sit flat, you won’t cut those silly bits unless you have a disc cutter as the aggregate blocks tend to smash cutting small bits. 

Lay the main wall on the flat and try bonding it again, again if it’s all being rendered I would probably just but up to the pillar and add a sheet of expanded metal into each course as a bonding strip. 

 

Also with the pier pier you have drawn it looks like every block is a cut, or not ??

that will be a major pain and will leave some nasty corners to render over. 

Edited July 26, 2020 by Russell griffiths

[Onoff]

Hollow or solid blocks?

 

I'd invest in a Bricky maybe. A doddle to use honestly. 

 

https://bricky.com/

 

Stainless steel wall starters maybe instead of complicated interlocking? I'd go for complicated interlocking mind ?).

 

If using lightweight blocks like Celcon you can cut them really accurately with a bfo block saw. Either do 4 shallow cuts round the block and the saw will follow these or knock up a wooden box/big to slide the block in. (The "proper" brickys will just use a club hammer and bolster).

 

Can't remember the make of my saw. Well used and the World and his wife have borrowed it. Something like this:

 

https://www.toolstation.com/irwin-concrete-hardpoint-saw/p43010?

 

Corner beads must be stainless steel or they'll rust and show through.

 

Render will cover all your mistakes! 

[Ferdinand]

My point would be to check that your chosen blocks will be frost tolerant in the way you plan to use them.

 

I think blocks are more resilient than bricks (where you need engineering not facing bricks for a wall to prevent spalling over time), but worth a check.

 

This is what happens to brick walls not done properly with the correct bricks.