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To build a cinderblock wall, start by determining how wide you want the wall to be. For example, if the wall will be 2 blocks wide, measure the width of a single block and multiply it by 2. This means that if your blocks are 8 inches (20 cm) wide, the wall will be 16 inches (40 cm) wide. Next, calculate the footing area around the wall, which should be at least 2 times as wide as the wall itself. So, if your wall is 16 inches (40 cm) wide, the footing area would be at least 32 inches (81 cm) wide all the way around the base of the wall. You’ll also need to decide how long you want the wall to be. Once you’ve done this, drive 4 wooden stakes into the ground at each of the corners of the footing area. Then, run a length of string between each of the stakes to mark off the perimeters of the footing. Use a shovel to dig a trench inside the area you’ve marked off. The trench should be about as deep as the cinder blocks are long, plus an additional 3 inches (7.6 cm). So, if your blocks are 7 inches (18 cm) long, make the trench 10 inches (25 cm) deep. Reinforce each corner of the trench with a piece of steel rebar, each bent at a 90° angle and about half the width of the trench. Once you start laying the cinderblocks, you’ll also need to put a vertical piece of rebar inside every other hollow space in the blocks and reinforce the bars with coarse core-fill grout. Next, pour a layer of wet concrete into the trench and smooth it out with a concrete float. Let the concrete harden overnight before moving on to the next step. When you’re ready to build the base of your wall, lay out the first layer of blocks end to end, and put 3/8-inch (0.95 cm) wooden spacers between each block. Use a pencil to trace around the blocks on the concrete footer you poured, then set the blocks aside. Spread a layer of mortar about 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick inside the perimeter you just traced. Then, gently push the first block down into the mortar until it’s sitting about 3/8 of an inch (0.95 cm) above the top surface of the footer. Use a trowel to add a thin layer of mortar to the “ears” or flanges of the next block where it will meet the edges of the first one, then set it in place. You’ll want to have about 3/8 of an inch (0.95 cm) of mortar between each block. Keep going until you’ve completed the first course of blocks, and use a trowel to scrape away any excess mortar between the blocks as you work. If you’re laying a wall that is 2 courses wide, lay the next course next to the first and fill the space in between with grout or mortar. To build up your wall, start and end the next layer with a half-block to help stagger the bricks properly. Put a thin layer of mortar along the footing and ears of each new block and set them on top of the first row, then tap the layers together with a rubber mallet. As you go, check your wall with a level occasionally to make sure the courses are lying flat. If you want your wall to have corners, wait to start building the adjoining wall until you’ve built up about 3 to 4 courses of the first one. To learn more, like how to build up and around corners with your cinder blocks, read on!
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