How to Lay a Cement Block Wall

Lay out the trench area for your wall with a tape measure and wooden stakes. Make the footing trench twice as deep as the thickness of the blocks for your wall, and twice as wide. Tie off the string line between the stakes to serve as a reference point. Dig down with a shovel between the string lines to create your trench.

Create the footing for the wall. Mix some cement in your wheelbarrow with the shovel according to the manufacturer's instructions and fill the trench with concrete. Let it dry for at least 72 hours before laying the block for your wall on top.

Lay the foundation layer of bricks. Mix some concrete in your wheelbarrow with the shovel. Use the shovel or the masonry trowel to layer the footing with at least an inch of concrete. Place a row of blocks along the top of your footing, with at least 3/8-inch spacing between each block and the footing.

Fill in the gaps between each block with more mortar, using either the shovel or the trowel. Use the level and your rubber mallet to tap each block down into the layer of base mud, as well as into each adjacent piece, keeping at least 1/2-inch of mortar as the finished result between each piece. Scrape off excess mud from the face with your trowel.

Work your way up from the bottom and set at least three or four rows before checking the installation for plumb. Stagger each row so that the vertical joints do not line up. Use the level to check each row for level as you work your way up, and repeat the mortar process by using the trowel to apply the mortar onto each subsequent layer of blocks. Repeat these processes until you have finished your wall.