The bond beam is typically installed only once in a standard-height storey-specifically in the fifth course of the wall-but two may be used for additional strength. The horizontal bond beam will then wrap around the vertical rebar to provide the tension that ultimately reinforces the wall structure. The installation of bond beams is a two-stage process that begins with vertical rebar installed into the cores of the concrete blocks at regular intervals. Bond Beamsīond beams are essentially pieces of rebar that are installed into the concrete blocks to add further structural reinforcement. For this reason, some blocks will usually be cut into shape to more accurately fit the wall.Įvery few courses, the blocks should be checked for alignment and filled in with sand or gravel except for corners and certain regular intervals of the walls, as we will see in the next section. While there is a level of precision required when putting together the concrete block courses, imperfections in the concrete blocks themselves cannot be avoided.
This first step of dry stack construction is arguably the most crucial, as the blocks of the first few rows (or courses) have to be perfectly leveled to avoid any problems with gaps and alignment from coming up when it becomes too difficult to fix. Of course, there is no mortar used between the blocks instead, they are laid down as close to each other as possible. Foundational Stackīuilding with dry stack concrete blocks starts with the first course of the blocks, which are set onto the foundation with mortar.
Below, we examine the general steps of constructing a home’s main support structures with this method. How to Build with Dry Stack Concrete BlocksĬonstructing a house with the dry stack technique is a fairly intensive process, arguably more so than the typical method of building with concrete blocks and cement. Sealing the whole thing is a high strength, surface-bonding cement that is applied to both sides of the wall to create a strong, self-supporting structure. Instead, the concrete blocks are placed together in such a way that there are only minimal gaps between them. Best Lawn Care Service for Service Dogsĭry stack construction, in the simplest terms, builds structures by stacking together concrete blocks without using any mortar to fill in the gaps in between the blocks.Lighted Magnifying Glass That Stays Put.Once the rebar is covered (usually by only one row of blocks), fill that row of cinder blocks with mortar or concrete. Simply insert the rebar into the hollow cores of the blocks as you come upon them. Use these rebar rods to connect and anchor the cinder blocks to the footing.
If the footings were poured using rebar reinforcement, you may encounter steel bars protruding from the footings. No mortar is used in building the wall the wall is stacked without mortar and sealed with a mortar mix afterward, often applying a metal screen sheeting on the surface for added reinforcement to the rebar and hollow-cell-fill stage. Although standard block size is 16-by-8-by-8 inches, the true dimensions are 15 5/8-by-7 5/8-by-7 5/8.ĭry-stack construction with cinder blocks often is employed. Corner units, half blocks, jam blocks and other specialized, inter-locking blocks and systems are available. Perform a dry run with at least two corners and one wall before commencing actual construction.Ĭinder blocks come in different shapes and sizes, many designs spawned by dry-block construction methods.