Can someone give me the basics on cinder block walls ?

[CindyLittle]

I want to put a 3ft wall in my back yard. I'm going to hire laborers to do the work but I want to kind of supervise them so please help me...

Here is a picture of where the wall is going, http://postaneed.com/htm/view_post.php?rid=1258

[Richard A Hetzel]

If you're going to put in a drain, why do you need the wall? In any case, I hope you don't truly mean "cinder" block...they won't hold up at all in the weather. You need to use concrete blocks.

Depending on your location, you'll need to install a concrete footing extending below the frost line, and build the wall up from there. Raw concrete blocks will not look so great in that environment, so you may want to use a pigmented split-face block or ribbed block. I still don't understand why the wall needs to be 3 feet tall, or really why it is needed at all.

If the drain is done right, the wall won't be necessary. By the way, where will the drain discharge?

[CindyLittle]

The wall is just to make the yard a little bigger, as you can see from the picture the brick wall that is there now is about 1 ft tall and 3 ft will actually add about 6 ft in depth to the yard. Where I am, a 3 ft wall, you don't need a permit for. The drain can attach to existing drainage that flows to the street in the front.

[concretemasonry]

From the looks of the site, it could eventually become a retaining wall.

A mortared block wall should be on some sort of footing or else you can expect it to crack and move, even in Calabasses.

You may want to consider retaining wall block that do not require mortar or a concrete footing. They were designed for such an application.

Since you apparently have decided on what you are going to do and have set an arbitrary price, you may just have to be caerful who you hire for labor.

[CindyLittle]

From the looks of the site, it could eventually become a retaining wall.

A mortared block wall should be on some sort of footing or else you can expect it to crack and move, even in Calabasses.

You may want to consider retaining wall block that do not require mortar or a concrete footing. They were designed for such an application.

Since you apparently have decided on what you are going to do and have set an arbitrary price, you may just have to be caerful who you hire for labor.
Thanks concretemasonry , thats a great suggestion and it sounds a lot easier to do, plus that post I put at http://postaneed.com/htm/view_post.php?rid=1258 seems to be a better pay for workers to just make a base and stack blocks, making sure they are level. Its just unfortunately all I can afford but workers have already been contacting me, which is good.

[Richard A Hetzel]

I don't see a brick wall in the back right of the picture at all, and I blew it up 400%! You don't mean on the left, do you? If so, then whatever wall you build will certainly be a retaining wall, otherwise it wouldn't make the back yard bigger. In that case, concretemasonry's suggestion of a wall built of precast retaining wall blocks is a good one. It will only need a gravel footing, and it requires no mortar...the blocks interlock, and you just stack them up. They are available in several colors and patterns.

If you build a wall with blocks and mortar, there are a million details to worry about...weep holes, gravel backfill, a footing, maybe reinforcing, a cap, all those things...none of which are a concern with the retaining wall blocks.

[CindyLittle]

Is there a place that you can get those retaining wall blocks off the internet for a better price then at the home improvement stores ?

[Richard A Hetzel]

Maybe not from the internet, but stay away from the home improvement stores, and go to a masonry supply yard, a place where they sell bricks, blocks, stone, mortar, etc. They will be able to either sell you or order for you exactly what you want, most likely at a much better price.

[concretemasonry]

It is possible to get good retaining wall blocks at a big box store, but that varies with the region. You see a lot of "knock-off" lines in the east for some reason. Since you use the old term "cinder block", you might be east or north of PA (included). The exception is Nevada, where natural cinders are used in some architectural units.

Forget about the internet unless you want down and dirty cheap price before you realize they are heavy and have to be delivered.

Richard is right about hardscaping outlets or landscapers being a good source of retaining wall block AND information.

Wherever you buy, make sure you go with one of the national/international licensed products, so you can avail yourself of their excellent web sites for examples, detains and installation instructions. The licensing and quality requirements they impose on manufacturers are very strong. For the different sites look for Allan Block, Anchor Wall Systems, Keystone and Versalok. - Usually any retaining wall retailer will advertise/indentify the name of the system.

[CindyLittle]

THANKS GUYS for the advice ! I went down to my building materials place, picked out the retaining wall blocks I wanted and the gentlemen there give me the low down on how to start with a footing and properly stack the blocks so I can show the guys I hired.

Oh and I changed that post to, http://postaneed.com/htm/view_post.php?rid=1258 , and I have two guys coming to stack blocks which with material and all will probably cost 1/4 of what that cinder block wall would have.

Thanks again...