[scottyt24]

Found this website yesterday and it seems like a great resource.

We just had a patio put in and now I want to put in a curved seat wall using unilock Olde Quarry or Pisa 2 blocks.

I'm looking for some help in getting started. I personally have never used unilock blocks, but they seem to be the popular choice. So, I have a few questions below:

1) When creating the wall, do you usually just use 1 size of block (12" or 15") or do you vary them?

2) (This one is kind of dumb) If the curve is too tight, do you simply cut a block to fill in the gap between 2 full size blocks?

3) How does unilock work? Do I need any mortar or any type of bonding material? How do the coping units stay on the top?

4) How deep do you put the first course?

5) Measuring. I'm struggling trying to figure out how much to order. Is there magical trick for getting the correct number of blocks?

6) Corner Unit blocks. Where do they come into play?

7) And finally, any great websites or books that can help with this?

I know it probably sounds like I shouldn't be doing this projecton my own with these questions, but I want to do it right since it is obviously an investment of time and money!

Thanks in advance.

Scott

[4seasons]

Use the brussells( olde quarry) for your wall. Its alot easier to make a double sided wall.
Brussells block is used for the corners. We glue each course even though olde quarry comes with a locking system.
1. vary the sizes of the block(3 sizes to a pallet)
2. on the curve, measure the gap and transfer the measurement to the opposite side.
(front to back or vice versa)
3. glue holds the coping
4. bury half the first row
5.Measure length x heigth gives you square face feet( thats how you order olde quarry)
6. unilock.com


have fun

[Stonehenge]

Scott, I kinda hate to say it, but I think the last part is spot on. I think you'd have had an easier time if you hired out the seatwall and installed the patio yourself.

Here are the things you need to consider, given your current situation:

If your seat wall is going right next to your patio, you're likely going to need to pull up the last 18" or so of patio, reprep and relay it later, because the excavation you're going to do for the wall will undermine that patio base. So plan on some re-work there. Building the seatwall first would have been preferable if this wall is going right up to the patio.

Re: the blocks - if it's a curve, plan on cutting every single one. You may not need to, but you should plan on it. Even if you design it to follow the exact radius the block are designed to run in, you'll never hit that radius exactly, and you'll end up cutting lots and lots of block. So just resign yourself to cutting lots of block. And plan on renting a big saw to do it.

Almost all SRWs these days, when built as a freestanding wall, use adhesive as the material that bonds them together (some may use pins). Your local supplier will be able to suggest a brand to you.

If you're using Pisa 2, you only have one size to choose from, so block size isn't an issue. But I prefer block styles that allow for different sizes. Looks more natural.

You'll need 3 split sides to handle the ends of the seat wall,unless you run them into piers or columns made from the same material. So order them if possible or fabricate them yourself on site.

Depth of digging - plan on burying at least one full block, plus the depth of the base prep, which should be at least 6".

Contact your local supplier to get your exact quantities. They'll help with that. They can also provide product literature to help you in the construction.

[AZTLANLC]

Old quarry will work pretty good but also don't go by the numbers they give you on the brochures regarding square footage.
on a curved wall accounting the cuts and also the way they measure you'll need about 30% or more material.

[scottyt24]

So, I am going to contract this job out instead of doing it myself. I would love to do it myself, but just don't have the time to spend on it.

So, today I called a few places to get prices on Olde Quarry as though I would do it myself. I just have a couple of other questions before I start looking for contractors:

1) From a unilock wall blocks perspective, what is the cheapest block and what is the most expensive?

2) When I called a dealer today, they added gravel and sand to the price. I know the need for a gravel base, but where does the sand come into play? I had never heard of sand being needed for a wall.

3) The wall will be 22 feet long and they said I would need a ton of gravel. Does that sound about right? It would only be 2 feet high for 15 feet and 2 1/2 feet for the remaining 7.

Thanks for all of the advice. I know you are all busy and its great that you take time out to help homeowners.

[AZTLANLC]

Old quarry and old state would be about the more economical roman pisa the most.
1 Ton would be doing about 4" base under ideal soil conditions that would be fine for tha size wall but I'd like to see 6" that is close to 2 tons.
Sometimes we use sand as bedding to aid in the installation of blocks but that is minimal and also mxed with mortar.