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Retaining wall project

28K views 147 replies 24 participants last post by  superseal 
#1 ·
Filled the last two weeks doing small jobs just trying to stay busy whilst the Township drug their feet approving my wall project permit.

It's my hometown actually, so I know the folks involved and their actually a pretty good bunch of peeps :rolleyes:

Even small jobs like this need to go though the planning commission which meets every Tuesday night and through zoning. Usually takes about a week to gather all the signatures then your good to go if everything's cool. Seems as though one guy is on vacation so that's what's holding things up.

Never mind, I'm gettin' started anyway :whistling... soon as I get this round in :thumbup:
 

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#34 ·
A few more for those unfimiliar...
 

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#42 ·
Cool tool Super.

The ones I saw didn't have the inset below, or 45.

It gives your work a cool distinction, love it!:thumbs up:
Don't get me wrong here, Supe's work, does certainly have a cool distinction, but, that detail is pretty common around these parts. Admittedly, its becoming less and less recreated as time goes by.
But, with preservationists like Superseal and others like him, many of these details will remain for future generations to appreciate.

D.
 
#49 ·
BTW that traction tool is also made by Stortz but is no longer available since the die broke or so I'm told. Too expensive to make new again so it's been discontinued. Nobody really uses them anymore so I guess it's justified on Stortz behalf,... but a shame to see them go.

Other are available but nothing like that one pictured. Current models are stainless and much deeper grooves which I really don't like.

Anyway, If anyone can find one...let me know. I only have one left of that tool and gone for good if I lose it :sad:
 
#50 ·
Off yesterday of course but back at it today - this heat wave here is starting to bug me I'll tell ya :censored: At least I have power unlike a million or so others south of me.

So friggin hot out I had to upgrade my umbrella set up. Ran over to the local big box and picked up some shade yesterday and I put it to use today. Well worth the investment :thumbsup:

Still had some block to finish up, then ran out to Galantino supply to check out the brick selection.

Ended up picking up about half on what I'll need so I'll be making another trip shorty to pick up more. Brick selection will be McAvoy full range fine red mattex modular solid and I think it should match the house well.

Hey, that guy and gal tag team where back today to pour the sidewalk across the street. He drops her off with all the gear a she handled the rest. Gotta hand it to her - she works hard and ain't afraid to get dirty...just don't see that all the time.

My buddy Chugo's company handled the delivery.
 

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#51 ·
So here's a shot of my own homemade mortar net which will keep the weeps free and clear of droppings and allow the wall to properly drain out. Actually it's flow free gutter-guard material which easy cuts with scissors. Lay a base piece down , then cut little keystone shapes and set the in between wythes. Since I'm shooting for a 10" wall thickness, the gap is 3/4"...perfect fit.

I'm just raking it out for now...I'll go back and point her up in one shot when i'm done cleaning etc..
 

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#55 ·
Had a couple of appointments this morning I had to take care of, then back out to Galantino for another load of brick.

Should take a little over 600 brick to finish this wall and I got most of them here now.

By the time I made a mix just before lunch, the wife calls and tells me her 68 year old mother has been rushed to the hospital with chest pains and shes facing a battery of tests :sad:

I really couldn't think straight after hearing it and was worried for both of them. Turns out shes has two blocked arteries with the main one @ 90% restriction- very risky areas the surgeon says.

Doctors ain't messing with this one as they've scheduled a 7am open heart procedure tomorrow. Scary stuff that's for sure.

Needless to say, I didn't get much done today, but I did use up a small mix then wrapped things up early to be with the wife.

I pray the doctors do a good job on her tomorrow, my thoughts and prayers are with you Barbara.
 

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#57 ·
Starting to get a feel for the contrast of the brick. It ain't an exact match, but the owner likes it and so do I :whistling

The dark brick aren't as black as the main house brick accents so I may try a little dye on some of the darker ones and see if it helps. Funny thing is, the sample board showed jet black accents but I've yet to find any in the pile :no:

Guess that's what you get when you try matching 65 year old brick :rolleyes:
 

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#60 ·
Thanks for the well wishes - it worked :thumbsup:

She ended up getting a triple by-pass with one blockage labeled the widow maker...Doc said he couldn't believe she was getting around okay climbing steps and all. Apparently she wasn't showing many symptoms and apparently hasn't had a stress test recently.

Surgery was quite lengthy starting a 8:30 this morning and didn't end until 4 pm. She'll be in ICU for two days and then the rehab starts.

She ain't out of the woods just yet - but the prognosis looks good.

Get well soon Barb :thumbsup:
 
#61 ·
Very good news SS. And I too love that edge detail though it's not the sort of thing I'd try. I think you've got to have more experience with concrete than I to know just the right time to work that tool. I picture rocks flying all over the place for me :)

I'd also point out that those "mushrooms" you've got for caps on the verts are great for avoiding cutting yourself on burrs, but they aren't allowed at least out here in Southern California, for fall protection. We have to use the 4" square orange things we call cheeseburgers.

Nice wall btw, I don't get to lay red brick much out here.
Dave
 
#62 ·
Thanks Dave, although I'm sure after a few sessions you'd be bull nosing like a pro.

I visited the MIL in ICU this morning and she was sitting up - looked terrible I might add, but the nurse said she's doing well. Lot's of pain killers at work here and tubes everywhere. Man, I hate hospitals :sad:

Your spot on with the rebar caps - this type no longer flies with OSHA for fall protection and rightfully so. I can't even imagine falling onto a
4" plate :eek:

I betcha this guy knows :blink:
 

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#63 ·
Back to work today after a wild weekend of worry and hospital visits. MIL is out of ICU and into her own room - Quite amazing how patients recover quickly from such intrusive procedures like getting your chest cracked open :blink:

Yikes, I'd rather be laying brick for sure...

Here's a little more of my homemade mortar net :whistling
 

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#64 ·
I gotta grout the cores before I lay my back course - stone caps will be set at this level.

There's more wall underground here then above :laughing:
 

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#67 ·
Actually I love the Makita radio...small and potent enough for me and it gets great reception.

Yea, the gut next door keeps coming out and checking on progress - he was wanting to know why I stopped at his property line :laughing:

I said cough up some change and you can have one too :whistling

Already gave a price to the neighbor on the right side - young couple and they seem like they might go for it.
 
#68 ·
Are you getting a lot of passerbys stopping and talking? Whenever i work right at the street I seem to spend more time talking to old guys than actually working.

Also any tips on laying the bricks that have no cores or frogs? I find you pretty much have to make a perfect bed to lay them. I always charge a premium if I'm laying brick without a pressure relief system. Luckily they're very rare around here. 2 corduroy brick from the 30's, the brown one has very deep and rough corduroy and the yellow/green one has very fine corduroy, like a modern one. i can spot them a mile away.
 
#69 ·
Are you getting a lot of passerbys stopping and talking? Whenever i work right at the street I seem to spend more time talking to old guys than actually working.

Also any tips on laying the bricks that have no cores or frogs? I find you pretty much have to make a perfect bed to lay them. I always charge a premium if I'm laying brick without a pressure relief system. Luckily they're very rare around here. 2 corduroy brick from the 30's, the brown one has very deep and rough corduroy and the yellow/green one has very fine corduroy, like a modern one. i can spot them a mile away.
A stunning amount of people actually,...quite frustrating as everybody is recognizing my truck from the neighborhood. Don't these people have jobs :laughing:

It's like they've never seen a brick wall built before :rolleyes:

Solid brick is always my choice if I can get them. Just furrow your mortar bed and all is well. Don't know why this is, but I always looked at cored brick as inferior and I know there not. All the studies I've seen states 25% cored is equal is strength and durability so it's just my belief system that's flawed :laughing:

Anyway, It sucks when you have to move a cored brick in place to tighten or loosen head joints along the way. Those suckers stick down a hellin' and you can't slide them.

Should wrap up the brick tomorrow and need to purchase some bluestone so I can cap this sucker :clap:

I'll be pointing this wall with a traditional concave jointer after I clean her up a bit with the same 6:1:1 mix. The sand I picked up to lay the brick was a bit mixed up in color I noticed from different deliveries to the yard, so I'll do it in one shot to ensure consistent color.
 

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#75 ·
but that's just it. the core gives somewhere for the excess mud to fall away to. Not to mention the fact that there is a backing for brick, either a stud wall or a block wall. 1" isn't a lot of place to get the trowel angled in like there is with block. At a guess I would say that my trowel is rarely at less than a (just a total guess) 30* angle when doing block. i don't think a 1" air space would provide adequate room to do a block laying spread with speed. Plus without a core all the excess would fall in the centre negating the purpose of the technique.

Maybe i'm wrong but I'd have to see it to believe it was efficient
 
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