|
|
|
Summary: Backyard privacy does not need to be an unattractive and solid windscreen, but it can be a beautiful and breezy decorative block wall. You can add it to an existing patio foundation as a wall, or build it on its own footing as a free-standing fence.
Note: If you are planning to build a wall or fence taller than 3 feet, you may need to get a building permit for it depending on where you live.
If you get off on the right foot with a proper foundation, your privacy screen will look fantastic. If you are not going to place your privacy wall on an existing concrete patio slab, you will need to create one specifically for the wall. This is done by simply digging a 10 inch wide by 7 inch deep trench that is the length of your proposed wall.
After you have created your trench, you will need to dig 8-inch diameter post holes that are 24 inches deep at 8 foot intervals in the channel for the posts. These posts are anchored in poured 8 x 8 concrete pilings that are deep enough to avoid winter frost heaving them out. The wall itself will be anchored to these posts with 10d or larger nails that are driven into the posts from the top each row of blocks, or course, and those nails are embedded in the mortar. The 4 x 4 redwood or cedar posts that you will be using are naturally rot and insect resistant. Alternately, you can use pressure treated wood posts but they are not usually as good looking as cedar. With either type of wood, the part of the post that will be below ground should be inserted into a sheet metal post anchor or cap before pouring the cement. Wooden posts tend to rot faster when embedded in concrete and these metal shields help to slow the decaying process by keeping the dampness away from the wood that the concrete soaks up after a rain, or watering of your flower bed.
After the posts have been embedded into their concrete pilings, pour a 3-inch deep pea gravel bed evenly along the bottom of the trench and level it out.
Pour a small amount of concrete over the gravel and lay 3/8 steel rods, or rebar, lengthwise and staggered onto the wet concrete to reinforce the slab because it is going to be holding a lot of weight from those blocks. You may also use geogrid if available in your area. Pour the rest of the concrete to a depth of about 3 inches, make sure it is level, and allow it to harden thoroughly before building your wall on top of it.
If you plan on incorporating a raised flowerbed on both sides of the wall, it will be cheaper and easier to back up the bed with 8x8x16 inch standard concrete blocks for the first course of blocks rather than pouring a curbing of concrete, or burying the more expensive decorative blocks. A raised flower bed, with its own rough flat stone border hides the standard concrete block and gives a nice landscaped look.
Taking care in leveling the blocks is of prime importance for both appearance and strength. Any error will be magnified along the length of the wall and from course to course. Stretch a wire or string tightly between the two end posts of the wall to help keep you on track, and have your level handy to double check your line. Move your line level up 12 inches for every course to assure alignment if you are using 11 1/2 " high bricks.. This will allow for the half inch of mortar thickness on each row.
It is a good idea to soak the blocks in water before starting your wall so that they won't absorb the moisture too quickly from the mortar, which would weaken the bond. The mortar mix itself helps to retard this, but soaking the blocks is still a handy tip.
To actually build your wall, mortar is troweled on heavily on the top of the blocks along the horizontal plane, but the mortar is simply buttered on one vertical edge of each block. Check the positioning of the blocks to make sure they match up if you are using the kind that have a directional pattern. Lay narrow-width reinforcing wire, rebar, or geogrid, onto the top of mortar. When you place your block on top of the mortar, it will embed the reinforcing wire into the mortar adding more strength to the wall.
Press and tap the block into place, letting the mortar ooze out, until you have a joint thickness of 1/2 inch. Use your line level as a guide for the pressing. Each block should be checked for horizontal and vertical alignment. As a result all mortar lines will be straight and each course will rest tightly against the posts which are anchored to the wall with heavy nail 10d or larger nail embedded in the horizontal joints.
After the mortar has set for about 15 minutes, scrape away the excess with the trowel and then strike the vertical and horizontal joints with a jointing tool for a neat, finished look. Move on to the next course after the mortar has set according to the product directions.
When the last course has been completed, trowel on mortar and cap the wall with 2 x 8 x 16 inch flat cement patio blocks laid lengthwise with the ends butted.
You may want to consider using a sealer to create an enhanced "wet" look. This tends to deepen the colors and adds a satin or semi gloss shine to the blocks. It will also protect cement from spills, oils, and the degrading effects of the sun. Test your chosen brand of sealer in a hidden area to see if it really is something what you want to do, since it cannot be removed once it is painted on. Be aware that you may need a permit to determine impervious coverage restrictions for the zoning district that you are located in.
Now enjoy your new privacy screen!
© Copyright www.diystuff.com
Top of Page
|
|
|
|
