"How to Drystack a Block Wall" video 1

This movie is 1 hour and 2 minutes in duration. Viewing this movie is like being there during the construction of this drystacked block wall.

The "How to Drystack a Block Wall" movie is a hands-on explaination of how to build a drystacked block wall from the footer forms on up to the lintel blocks. This movie demonstrates the kinds of minimal skills required to work with this building method. It doesn't matter whether you build it yourself or you contract out the work. In either case, you must understand the principles to ensure a successful owner-built home or a quality monitored contractor built home. This movie serves two distinct purposes:

1. It provides a good overview for those who are curious about the skills and techniques required. This overview will cover enough detail to help you determine the advantages and simplicity of building with this medium.

2. It supplements the "DryStacked Construction Handbook" by demonstrating hands-on application of details covered by the handbook. It provides a visual demonstration much like being there during the actual construction progress of a garage wall that is attached to a house.

If you are considering new home construction, then you owe it to yourself to view this movie.

High quality drystacked homes result from careful planning, unlike other constructions mediums which require high levels of workmanship skills. When you understand the principles involved with dry stacked block, then the actual build phase goes very smoothly. Minimal skills and solid planning will help to achieve professional home construction results which will increase the resale value and curb appeal of your finished home.

Now is the time to start planning your new home project. The "How to Drystack a Block Wall" movie will expose you to the dry stacked block process and help you to reach an intelligent decision about how to build your new home. This movie will also demonstrate the minimal skills required for successful wall dry stacking.

The topics covered by the movie include but are not limited to:

1. Surface Bonding Cement benefits and application.
2. Details about footer rebar.
3. Wall rebar requirements, bending and handling.
4. Concrete block evaluation and/or cleaning.
5. Cut blocks with a diamond blade saw when required.
6. Effect of and correction for block height variations.
7. Using string lines for flat walls.
8. Block spacing control and corner block placement.
9. Easily fit a closing block that is too long.
10. Wall bobble - cause and correcting action.
11. Easy fix for for out of plane blocks.
12. Working with mortar when required.
13. How to set blocks in mortar.
14. How to strike the mortar joint.
15. When to mortar inter-block gaps.
16. How to fill a vertical block joint with mortar.
17. Wall bracing pointers.
18. Concrete stopper method for lintel blocks.
19. How to place rebar in wall cells.
20. Extended half-block trick.
21. How to side-chute concrete into header cells.
22. How to place bond-beam and header rebar.
23. Examples of header forms.

In the movie I use a fabricated lift hoist and hopper to place concrete in the wall cells by myself. You can also do this by hand using 5 gallon plastic buckets. For example, pouring the entire bond-beam by hand on my work garage took two men about 6 hours, including the concrete mixer operation. This garage is 31' x 51'.

 

"Surface Bonding Cement" video 2