How to Add Privacy With a Concrete Block Fence

Concrete walls block prying eyes and add privacy to your yard or garden. Wall blocks come in many designs from simple cinder blocks to ornate, scallop-edged, wall stones. Solid-concrete blocks don't have holes, as do cinder blocks, so there is no need to add capstones or other finishing touches to the wall’s top. These solid wall blocks also don't require mortar. Instead, a simple masonry adhesive holds the blocks securely in place, which minimizes installation time.

Stakes
Twine
Spade
Stone dust
Concrete blocks
Masonry saw
Masonry adhesive

Instructions

- 1
  Mark the wall’s perimeter with stakes. Stretching twine between the stakes connects them and creates the guide for building the wall. Straight walls with no curves are simpler to install when using concrete blocks.
- 2
  Dig a trench along the marked out fence line with a spade. Make the trench 1 inch wider than the concrete wall block’s width. Make the depth two-thirds the block's height.
- 3
  Fill the trench with 1 to 2 inches of stone dust or fine, concrete fill. Tamping the dust down creates a firm base so that the blocks don't shift later after you build the wall.
- 4
  Set the first block level in the trench. Place them so they abut closely together. Keep the blocks level along the first course, otherwise the rest of the wall becomes uneven.
- 5
  Cut a concrete block in half using a masonry saw. The half-blocks begin and end the second wall level so that the joints between levels are offset.
- 6
  Spread two beads of concrete masonry adhesive along the top of the first course of blocks. Set the second set of blocks on top, offsetting the joints. Repeat this procedure for each level of wall, beginning every other level with a half block so the joints remain offset until the wall reaches the desired height.

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