They continued laying block in a similar fashion, starting at the corners and working inward. Measuring off that line enabled them to make sure each course of the foundation was level with the rest.Īfter the first course was completed, Victor’s team was able to work much faster. Setting the laser detector onto the stake allowed the guys to mark a consistent, level line. Next, the guys hammered stakes at all the corners. When precision was necessary, the guys used a concrete saw to cut the block.Īfter the first course of block was laid, Victor’s crew used a transit to site a level line at all the corners. To do this, they first setup the transit in view of all the corners. The first method was to use a brick hammer along the cut line, and after a few well-place whacks it would break. It was often necessary to cut the last block of a section or in order to stagger the joints on the next course of block, and they used two different methods. They would bend a wall tie in place, nail it to the foundation and embed the rest of the tie in the joint between blocks. Keeping the corners square is very important, and the guys employed a little trigonometry (3-4-5 Pythagorean triple) to double-check their measurements.Įvery 2-3 courses, the guys used wall ties and nails to anchor the block wall to the existing foundation. Here’s a look at how the concrete footer steps down and the guys laid the block. Pro-Tip: Joints should measure 1/2″ and the width of a finger is a good approximation.Īfter each section, excess mortar and broken pieces of block were used to fill the corners for additional reinforcement. Using the chalk line as a reference, the guys laid a bed of mortar and began laying block.Įach block was checked for level and that it followed the string. Pro-Talk: The bracket for securing a string is called a dogbone or line-stretcher.Īt times they also used a wooden corner block. Once the corners were in place, Victor’s crew would run a string along the top corner of the block and use that as a guide for the rest of that section. Often, the guys would run a long metal beam with a level on top (not pictured) to check that the corners were in line with each other. If you look closely, you’ll notice the corner blocks are slightly different with a finished outside corner. For that reason it was really important that the corners be perfect because they act as a reference for the rest of that section of wall. Pro-Tip: Concrete blocks measure 8″ x 16″ including the joint.Īfter the guys cleaned the footer with a foxtail brush, they would strike a chalk line.įor each section, Victor’s crew would start at the corners and work their way into the middle. Next, they would mark out each section and calculate the number of blocks per section. Pro-Tip: Wet the tubs before adding the mortar to help prevent it from drying out.įrom the blueprints, Victor and his crew determined the location of the foundation walls. Then they would shovel the cement in to large tubs for the block layers. The guys used a gas-powered mixer to mix sand, water and type-S masonry cement. Here’s how everything looked after the concrete cured and a little bit of rain. If you missed it, read up on how Victor’s team dug the footers, laid rebar and poured the footers at those links. If you remember, Steve brought in Victor and his team from Luciano Cristofaro Contractors to build the foundation, and today’s article shares how they built the block wall foundation. It's not a dojo requirement and if a person doesn't want to do it, they don't have to.It’s time for another Pro-Follow update as we follow along with contractor Steve Wartman and his crew. We only do this like a couple times per year. I certainly made my palm sting when I was trying to break for the first time. I'm not saying breaking is safe, but it doesn't have to be a major risk, I think. He has done four with the back of his hand. A couple guys can do four, and our sensei can do seven. We have very small people in our dojo who can do three. Fairly lower speed and power than many full-power breaks. It looks the same in terms of breaking, though. In our method that we use in our dojo, we use a similar motion, using the palm, trying to focus ki and not use power, but we set the pavers up on blocks and drop from a standing position to one knee as we deliver the blow. We do not use spacers between pavers some do. Our method of breaking is similar, though not exactly the same, so I used it for demonstration purposes here.
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