Cinder blocks
are also known as cement blocks. They are the foundation of many homes. Cinder blocks are also commonly used as retaining walls around driveways of homes. They come in different sizes, but the most common is 8-by-8-by-16 inches. They can be used to control erosion, to level a slope or to add around a planting bed. The block is also available in various textures and styles, but all require the same basic installation procedures.
Instructions
1. Dig a flat area 4 to 6 inches deep and 24 to 28 inches wide with a shovel where the cinder block will be installed. Pour sand into the hole and fill it until it is 1 inch from the top. Spread it out evenly by hand and compact it into the ground with a hand tamper. Push the tamper down on the entire area until the surface is even and smooth.
2. Level the sand with a screed board or 1-by-4 piece of lumber. Slide the board back and forth over the sand and level it out. Fix any dips and humps with a hand trowel. Fill up any small holes near the top with the trowel.
3. Lay the first row of blocks evenly together along the front edge of the hole. Set them on the sand down the entire first row and place a level on top of the blocks. Verify they are square and plumb. Pack soil halfway up the block on each side.
4. Hammer four 10-inch pins through each block, evenly spaced. Position the pins on top of the block and hammer them through the block and into the ground. Cut the first block of the second row in half with a chisel. Score the top and bottom directly in the middle. Line up a chisel and hammer down on it. Turn the block on its side and hammer the rest of the way.
5. Set the cut piece down at the beginning of the second row and the rest of the row directly on top of the first. Install the row just as the first was installed. Move up each row until all the block is installed, cutting the first piece of every other row in half so the block has a staggered look.
6. Pour gravel in behind the block to fill the rest of the opening. Spread concrete adhesive on the back of the cap block. This block acts as the top row of block. Squirt it on with a caulk gun and spread it out with a trowel. Lay the block flush with the front of the wall and install the rest of the top row the same way.
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