DIY Block Walls

Measure and mark the length and width of the wall you plan to build, driving wood stakes into the ground at the corners of where the wall will sit. Tie mason’s lines between the stakes, forming a rectangle over the ground.

Dig in the area contained by the mason’s lines, until the hole you dig reaches a depth of eight inches. Measure the depth of the hole using the mason’s lines as a reference, since the level of the ground may vary.

Cover the bottom of the hole with 3 inches of paver base. Backfill the hole with some of the dirt you dug out, stopping once the hole is deep enough to cover half of one of the blocks.

Mix cement with the prescribed amount of water, as listed on the cement mix’s bag, in a construction bucket. Trowel the cement into the bottom of the hole, creating a 1-inch thick layer over the dirt. Rake the trowel down the middle of the wet cement, creating a furrow that stretches the length of the wall.

Lay the first course of blocks in the hole you dug, starting at the shallow end of the hole. Spread cement mix on the ends of the blocks onto the blocks before laying them end-to-end. Lay a torpedo level side-to-side and front-to-back to ensure the blocks sit level, and then tap the blocks with a rubber mallet.

Backfill the dirt around the perimeter of the first course of blocks, packing down the dirt until it sits level with the surrounding ground. Spread an even layer of masonry construction adhesive on to the top of the first course of blocks.

Measure the center of the first block you plan to lay on the second course, and then make a deep line across the width of the block using a mason’s chisel. Hold the chisel’s blade in the line you cut in the middle of the block, and then strike the other end of the chisel with a brick hammer, cutting the block in half. Knock away any rough edges with the claw end of the brick hammer.

Lay one half of the block as the first block for the second course of the wall, leveling the block as you did with the first course. Lay the rest of the course as you did the first course, staggering the joints between the first and second courses of the wall. Position the other half of the block you cut at the other end of the wall.

Continue laying more courses of blocks as you did the second course, stopping once the walls reaches the height you planned. Allow the wall to sit for 24 hours without being disturbed, giving the adhesive sufficient time to cure.