A Practical Guide to Laying Walling
Laying a Wall with Mountain Block
1) When building a retaining wall you must prepare the ground
correctly. Start by removing the topsoil and dig a trench 16" wide
by 4" deep. Firm the trench and line it with landscaping fabric to
help prevent loose soil washing into the gravel back-fill.
2) Cover with a 3" layer of sand/gravel sub-base. Compact this
layer to achieve a firm and flat surface. Check your base is even
with a level. Place the first course of blocks in position and
align them with the front edge of the trench. Tap down using a club
hammer, and be sure that the retaining nib grips into the
sand/gravel sub-base. Check that any adjacent blocks are level and
aligned correctly.
3) Back-fill the blocks with gravel and check that any
'v'-shaped voids between the blocks are also filled and firmed.
4) Having built a sturdy base, you can now add height to the
wall with extra courses staggering the joints. Make sure that you
place each block across the joints of the two blocks below and that
the retaining nib always sits firmly behind the lower block. Before
starting a new course, check that the previous course is level and
is completely back-filled. Note: correct placement of the retaining
nib will result in a 'set-back' of 15mm per course.
5) Once you have added the required number of courses pull
forward the landscaping fabric to cover the gravel back-fill. There
are two options for finishing the wall. Use a layer of Mountain
Block coping to give your wall a thoroughly professional look.
Secure the coping in position using Walling Adhesive, taking care
not to get the adhesive on the face of the blocks. Alternatively
the last course of blocks can be left exposed and plants or grass
used to cover the top of the wall, giving a rustic appearance.
Caution: Mountain Block is intended for garden
use only and should not be used to retain ground that supports
driveways or buildings. The maximum height limit of your wall will
depend on the individual circumstances and soil type in particular.
However, if our installation guidelines are followed, Mountain
Block can generally be used up to 6 courses high (approx. 2
feet).