The next step is to begin laying the block in the freshly dug trench. Let's back up just a second, I guess the next step is to carry all the heavy block from the front of my house where it was delivered to the back of my house. Good times, good times!
Well, here is a portion of the block...
As you can see from the pic, I started by placing the block in the trench to give me an example of the height and pattern I wanted to use. I opted to use one large block followed by one small block and repeat the pattern for each row. I am finishing the wall by topping it off with a cap stone and overhanging it slightly to complete the overall look I am trying to achieve.
Starting at the lowest point in the yard or trench I should say, I began to fill with paver base until I had approximately 2 inches of base fully compacted. I used a hand tamper to compact the base material which I then added sand to begin leveling each block with. Once I got the first large block level from side-to-side and front-to-back, I continued the same process by placing a small block, followed by another large block. This process takes time and should not be hurried! After I completed my first row, the second row was easier, but it still took some time and patience. I started the second row by placing and centering a large block on top of the first row's small block, making sure the seams were offset and not in a straight line.
I completed about 75% of the wall in less than a day and my buddy came over the next day to help me complete the rest. The last part only took a few hours to complete and I must say it looks pretty damn good and I'm extremely happy with the results.
Even though the wall looks complete and pretty much is complete, I still need to go back and adhere all the cap stone to the wall block using Loctite PL landscaping adhesive. Before I do that, I plan to add lighting under the overhang of the cap stone and not sure what the placement will be so I will update on a later post.
To be continued...
