- 1). Mark out the location of your wall with string or with marking paint. Mark both the front and back line of the wall. Lay one of your blocks in place and add 1 inch to the front and 1 inch to back, then mark those locations on the ground.
- 2). Excavate the mapped out area to a depth of at least 6 inches, or until you have dug away the dark topsoil and reached lighter, softer dirt beneath. Use a level to check to make sure you keep the bottom of the trench completely level, so that the wall will sit flat.
- 3). Spread a 3-inch layer of paver base across the bottom of the trench. Compact the base with a hand tamper to create a solid, flat surface on which you can lay your stones. Use your level to make sure the surface is completely flat after you compact. When finished, the paver base should be half the height of a concrete block plus 1 inch from the surface. For example, if your blocks are 4 inches tall, the base should sit 3 inches below the surface.
- 4). Top the base material with 1 inch of stone dust. Flatten the dust with the flat side of a spade; check for level. The dust will leave enough space for half of the stone to be buried below the soil surface.
- 5). Set your first concrete block at one end of the trench, centered between the two edges of the trench. Lightly tap the stone into the dust with a rubber mallet; half of the stone will sit below the soil surface. Use your level to check that the stone is completely flat side to side and front to back; tap certain areas deeper into the dust if necessary.
- 6). Butt the next block directly against the first and then drop it into the trench; this will avoid you dragging it through the dust to get it close to the first. Tap the second block into place and then run your level across both stones to ensure level. Continue setting the first layer of blocks and leveling each block in turn until the first layer is finished.
- 7). Fill the gaps at the front and back of the blocks with stone dust and dirt to hold the blocks in place. Tamp down the dust and dirt with your foot to make it firm and compact. Fill the gaps completely before continuing.
- 8). Line up a mason's chisel with the center of the first stone for your second layer. Tap the back of the chisel with a hammer to score the center line of the block. Turn the block and score all sides. When the stone is fully scored, line up the chisel at the center of the stone and strike it firmly a few times to split the stone in two.
- 9). Scrape any loose edges along the cut block with a brick hammer. Using a half block for the first stone of the second layer will stagger the joints of the wall for a stronger hold.
- 10
Spread masonry adhesive across the first layer of stones in two parallel lines. This material usually comes in tubes that are easily set into a caulk gun. Set the half block in place on the top of the first layer. Continue to set the second layer, tapping each block into place and checking the level as before. - 11
Glue down at least every other layer of the block wall; you can use the glue on every layer for a stronger hold. Cut stones as you go as necessary to stagger the joints. If you desire, top the wall with capstones or with blocks turned perpendicular to the rest of the wall for a decorative finish. You must glue the topmost layer in place to avoid knocking down the stones.
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