A Practical Guide to Laying Walling
Laying a Wall with Madoc or Wetherdale
When building a wall rather than a feature planter or barbecue,
start by building up the ends of the wall over the level
foundations to approximately three to four courses.
For a retaining wall higher than 2 feet or for any wall over 3
feet, it is recommended to seek expert advice as to its structure
even if you are going to build it yourself. This information must
include the depth and width of foundation. For the foundations, a
general rule is that the depth is equivalent to between 1/4 &
1/3 of the wall's height; the foundation width should be two or
three times the wall's width.
If building on an existing concrete base or patio, start
construction at stage 4.
1) Strip topsoil, dig to firm ground and measure out area.
2) Lay level concrete foundations using 6 parts all-in ballast*:
1 part cement.
3) Stretch a building line between the ends and build one course
at a time, checking for accuracy vertically, diagonally and
horizontally using a level.
4) Using a trowel, spread mortar (3-4 parts building sand* : 1
part cement) evenly over the foundations and then over the blocks
in each course as you lay them. (The mortar should just exude from
between the joints and any surplus is cut off with the trowel.)
Don't forget to fill the vertical joints as you go, by applying
mortar to one end of the block before positioning it adjacent to
the previously laid block. The blocks should be laid in stretcher
bond - you will need to cut some blocks, but this is simple to do
using a club hammer.
5. Only build between 6 and 8 courses at a time, allowing the
mortar to set before starting to build again.
6 Finally, use a pointing trowel to smooth and finish the mortar
joints.