How to Build Concrete Block Walls

Even if you'd rather build that concrete block wall yourself, you're going to need some help. Before tackling such a task, you'll need a clean slab for a base, or footing, so the blocks will have something to attach to. In this section, these instructions provide steps for building the wall.

Difficulty:

Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Bricks
• Two core 8-x-8-x-16-inch units or three core 8-x-8-x-16-inch units
• Steel sash unit or wood, single bullnose, capping or header unit
• Stakes
• Mortar

1. Measure the area the wall will span.

2. Sketch a design. The design-as-you-go method is not efficient, nor is it cost effective if you don't like the results.

3. Travel to Home Depot, Lowe's, Ace or a similar place, and select the bricks and supplies that you'll need. Show the measurements to a sales assistant so they can help with the number of bricks and the amount of mortar you'll need in building the block wall.

4. Pound stakes into where the corners will be. String a line from one corner to the next, and use a plumb bob a couple of inches from where the string crosses at the corners to make sure your corners will be level.

5. Lay the corners first. The corners will act as a guide to make sure you have straight walls. When laying the corner bricks on the footing, smear the mortar, with a trowel, beyond the length and width of the brick footing before placing the brick atop of it. Use the trowel to scrape excess mortar. It's better to have too much mortar than not enough. Take the needed time to straighten the corner block; all other blocks line up with the corners. Use a level to make sure.

6. Follow the previous steps for the other corners. Build corners up first. Keep corners higher than the rest of the wall. This also helps guide your work. You'd feel horrible if at the end of this project the corners were shorter than the rest of the wall.

7. Tap the bricks down over the wet mortar. Again, use the level to check the alignment. Follow the same procedure as you did with the corners in laying the bricks for the rest of the wall until it reaches the desired height.

Tips & Warnings

• Make sure the string you ran in the beginning stays taut.

• On hot days, cover mortar with plastic.

• Only mix an hour's worth of mortar at a time.