Cinder Block Wall
During my summers in Arizona I had picked up many skills. One skill I will forever remember has to be how a cinder block wall is constructed. My time down south was filled many a day with the labor of constructing cinder block walls, in the heat of Arizona Summers. Although the weather may have been awfully hot, my desire to learn new trades was strong. I have been able to earn lots of extra money on my own to build these walls. For me at the age of 22 building up walls is a skill I would never want to be without again, you never know when you will need to divide land, or even just make money building for others.
In masonry you need a trowel to handle the mortar and spread bed joints on existing block. A saw that has a diamond black circulation blade will cut through any block you give it. Having a tape measurer is key in order to measure out lengths and height. A four foot flat level is key to keeping a wall level and plumb. A good strong back is required in the field of masonry, the work is hard and heavy. If the weather is below freazing you cannot lay the wall, the mortar will not set correctly and the work will be unstable. If the sun in blazing at over 115f, then the wall needs to be sprayed with water every 30 minutes for the first 8 hours of cure, this is to ensure the mortar doesn’t dry and set wrong.
When you begin lay the wall out you want to measure the overall length, then divide the overall length by the length of the blocks you are working with. Then begin to lay the block with mortar spread evenly on both ends tight up against each other. Try and get the block as level as you can, make sure each block is level with the next. After you have your first row of block laid and leveled run a line from the start of your fence to where you want the end point to be, line the blocks accordingly to the string. Next measure the overall height you want the wall to be, then divide that by the height of the...