Replacing current cinder block retaining wall with brick?

16 years ago

Hi all!

It has been a while since I have posted on this site (winter weather, the holidays and inside projects take away from outside fun).

As spring will be here before we know it, I want to plan out replacing a current cinderblock retaing wall with a brick retaining wall. I am going to take down the current one as it is leaning and the mortar is cracking quite a bit. I will be re-using the current cinder blocks behind the brick I will be placing as the "exterior". Has anyone ever done this?

Here are the steps I have thought out thus far:

1.) Remove cyclone fence along the top of the current wall (behind, not attached to the wall).

2.) Carefully remove current wall.

3.) Remove as much soil that is necessary to put in a footing made of either stone of concrete (not sure which, but whatever I choose will be a foot deep.

4.) Remove as much soil that is necessary to make sure that there is enough drainage behind the new wall by putting stone behind new wall.

5.) Put in cinder block wall with mortar, using the attachment strips (not sure of name, but think flexible rebar) in the mortar so the brick and cinder block wall will be connected.

6.) Finish filling with gravel behind the wall as the courses move upward.

7.) Make sure there are weep holes as the wall will be 3' high at the highest point and 15' long.

Any other comments or suggestions are welcome. I am a beginner when it comes to the brick and mortar thing. I am looking to put up something nice, but not spend a lot of money.

Thanks in advance for any help anyone can provide.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (4)

pls8xx
16 years ago
Your new wall will fail too.

It's hard to give you any direction without a lot more info on the site and the condition of the current wall. A good place to start is with pictures.
marcinde
16 years ago
Your footer needs to be concrete and below the frostline (way more than 12" in eastern PA), and it'll need to be tied to the wall with rebar. The wall and footer will both need reinforced with rebar as well, cells grouted, and depending on your situation you may need bond beam block... don't approach this lightly or you'll have problems. Check with your local permit office; they may have typical retaining wall details that illustrate proper construction for your region.

Dave
Related Discussions
Effective Cover- Up for Ugly Cinder Block Bases
Q
Comments (17)
Mindy, The stain is translucent, thin and watery. I got it at Homedepot. You choose the color you want from the stain collection and they color it for you like they mix paint colors to order. I just did it so I don't know how it will wear. I put in 2'x2'cement stepping blocks from our driveway to the front walk and sprayed that too, so we'll see. I tried brushing it on but it pooled in odd spots and looked terrible so that is why I went to a spray application. Much better.With spray the gallon went farther too. Try it in an out of the way place. You will have to cover any plants or grass nearby to protect them from spray. Don't do it on a windy day and it should not rain for at least 24 hours or more after application. I wore safety glasses when I did it. I'll check back in case you have more questions. I still have to learn how to post pictures, but I will soon.
...See More
Concrete Block Retaining Wall
Q
Comments (24)
You have been given so many really great suggestions that I don't think I could think of any that are better or more helpful. I did however want to address the "ugly" wall. It is possible to colorize your wall with what is generally known as "white washing" but by adding a cement additive you can tint it any color you would like. It's very simple really. You would need a bag of white portland cement, a bag of white hydrated lime and the colorant powder of your choice. Mix the portland and lime 3 to 1 and add water so it's a milk consistency then add the colorant until you get the color you like. Measure the colorant as you add it so subsequent batches will be mixed to the same color depth. Brush it on with a paint brush. The painting goes faster than you would think by sort of swishing the brush in all directions to fill all the little crevices, You have about 30 minutes or so to work the cement mixture but if it starts to stiffen just add more water and mix well again and finish up. I did this on my very old cement stucco house this past summer and it is the brightest shiny white you could ever imagine. It looks beautiful with freshly painted trim. Anyway this will work on anything with cement like texture (bricks too) and because of the added portland cement it will not wash away like a simple lime only solution will eventually do. You could even do a really bright color like red or deep blue if you wanted to and consider it an art wall if you wanted. Just something to consider in addition to plants. Any left over materials can be mixed with sand added to make stepping stones or cement planting containers etc. Good luck!
...See More
Cinder block sitting wall
Q
Comments (3)
I don't know where you live, but a footing shoud be down to the frost line. It's 30" where I live. Any block wall that's mortared in place needs a poured foundation to keep it stable. The stucco would crack & fail in no time. The mortarless block systems being sold can be installed on gravel foundations. They can shift around a bit with no problems.
...See More
Efflorescence on retaining wall block: best way to remove?
Q
Comments (3)
The use of sealants on brick is a contentious issue in the industry. I should note that the Brick Industry Association advises that sealants are the last resort. See Technical Note 23A (Scroll to Search function on left.) In the UK, the Brick Development Association recommends against any sealant period. If you do choose a sealant, use a penetrant silane or siloxane not a film type, usually silicone. Silicone sealants stop the water from getting in, but they trap water that is in the brick and coming through the brick from inside the structure, resulting in spalling. Brick spalling--the popping off of the outer layer of brick--is often caused by excess water trapped in the brick that freezes in cold weather. Source: Carepro.ca After personal experience destroying heritage bricks with silicone sealants in the early '70s, I avoid all sealants and only gently dry brush efflorescence. Rather than treating a whole wall, work with a small section, preferably not front and centre, and see what happens over a year. You don't want to attack a cosmetic concern and end up replacing masonry walls.
...See More
greengardener07
Original Author
16 years ago
Why will the new wall fail? I can tell you right now, without digging that the current cinderblock wall will not have a proper footing. It doesn't have weepholes and the mortar is cracking. It was like that when we bought the house, and I knew I was going to have to replace it.

I'd hate to use the modular bricks (Old Castle, EP Henry), but I think they would work better than the brick and mortar in my case as I do not have brick laying experience. The wall is 3' high and 16' long. I got an estimate last year, and the guy quoted me $5k for it! Um, I do not think so. Hence, I am going to do it myself.

So, does anyone think the modular blocks would work well for me in this case?
marcinde
16 years ago
There are no absolutes in life, so I'll amend pls8xx's statement: The new wall will very likely fail if constructed as you say. You're in a freeze-thaw part of the country, which is why your footer needs to be below frost line. If you attempt to "float" the footer, the expansion and contraction of the soil will heave and crack the footer, the mortar joints in the CMUs, and the brick veneer. You also need to consider that with a 3' high wall, the forces attempting to knock it over are pretty intense. Without being tied to a proper footer, and without vertical steel reinforcement, those forces will eventually win and your wall will very likely fail. Again, no absolutes in life; the brick piers on my 100 year-old house go 6" into the ground and sit on bare earth. But if you're taking the time and expense to do something, why build in the probability of failure?

As to the EP Henry wall solution... did that quote also include demo & removal of the existing wall and related sitework? If so, they may not be that out of line. If you approach it as a DIY job, you may be surprised at how quickly $X per ton of disposal adds up.

If you do the project yourself, be fanatical about following the manufacturer's instructions. These systems are designed so they can be installed without special masonry skills, but you still need to be very accurate in preparing the base. If you don't feel like you're spending a ridiculous amount of time getting the first course of block perfectly level... well, you're probably not doing it right.

If you want to put a fence back on top of the wall, Keystone makes a system that'll hold the fenceposts securely within the structure of the wall. Might be worth looking at.

Best of luck!

Replacing current cinder block retaining wall with brick?

Comments (4)

pls8xx

marcinde

Related Discussions

greengardener07
Original Author

marcinde

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

Replacing current cinder block retaining wall with brick?

Comments (4)

pls8xx

marcinde

Related Discussions

greengardener07Original Author

marcinde

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

greengardener07
Original Author