Do It Yourself Installation Instructions
1. Excavating
First Mark the area of the wall with chalk or spray paint then string a line.
Dig out a trench that is a minimum of 5" (130 mm) deep plus 1inch for every ft of wall height.
Allow between 6" and 8" (150-200 mm) of space behind the wall for washed Drain Rock.
( this means the trench is 14-16" or 360-410 mm wide ).
Roots & large rocks should be removed from the trench.
2. Base Preparation
Lay 6" (150mm) of 5/8 minus or 3/4 minus crushed rock in the trench.
Tamp ( compact ) this base and level it front-to back and side-to-side.
If your project requires a perforated drain behind wall,
cover the bottom & back of trench with a geotextile landscape fabric to prevent soil from blocking the drainage system.
measure fabric with excess length of about 12"(30cm) at top of bank ,(which will be folded over the completed drainage fill).
Then Lay a 4" perforated drain pipe where the back of wall will go. The drain pipe should slope 1"(25mm) for every 4'(1.2m)
towards the drainage area.
3.Lay the Base Course
Position a level string t mark location of the back of the first course
(should be 8" [200mm] from the proposed wall face). Place the first course of blocks side by side
(touching) on the granular base. Ensure units are level front to back and left to right.
Extra care should be taken at this stage as it is critical for accurate alignment in the upper courses.
Complete the entire base course before beginning the second course.
Tip: Begin Laying block at the lowest point of the wall.
If possible, it is easier to start with a straight portion of the wall.
4.Second & Additional Courses:
Sweep top of underlying course and start setting the next course.
If using blocks of just one size, center each on the seams of the course below.
If mixing wall unit sizes in an ashlar pattern, try to prevent vertical joint lines from more than 2 courses high.
The connecting groove of each block should be facing to fit over the tongue of the units below.
To cut blocks for the ends of the wall, or to create tight curves, use a hammer and chisel to score the block on all sides.
Pound the chisel with a 3 pound sledge on the score line until the unit splits.
Always wear eye protection when splitting blocks. If many cuts are needed, renting a masonry saw may be the easiest
way to get precision cuts.
5.Backfilling:
After each two (2) Courses are laid, backfill behind the wall with 3/4" minus gravel or drain rock.
This step is important to promote drainage and to prevent soil from leaching through the wall face.
6.Place Cap Units:
Either the 4x8 or the 4x12 Cap units (or a combination of both) can be used to finish the wall.
A layer of concrete adhesive must be applied to the top course to fix the cap units in place.
Place the cap units firmly on top of the adhesive, ensuring both surfaces are free debris, and apply pressure to secure.
Follow adhesive use guidelines.
7.Finish Grading:
Fold the excess landscape fabric over the top of the drain rock and extend it up the back face of the cap units.
Cover the landscape fabric with topsoil, mulch, or grass.
Slope the surface above and below the wall to ensure water will flow away from and not accumulate near the wall units.
If installing pavers above the wall,
be sure that the compactor stays at least 40" (1.0m) away from the back of the cap units.
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