How difficult adding row to block wall?

[Not so quick]

There is a cap on one side and it would need some stucco or whatever that stuff is on one side. Thanks

[FireBrick]

Could you be just a bit more specific about what you want to do? I'm a retired mason and will try to help but I'm not sure I understand what you want to do.

[Not so quick]

My back yard has a block wall around it. One of the sides is a row higher than the others and I want to build the other two side to be equal to the higher side. The back wall faces a road and has stucco on it. Thanks for your reply. I'm not sure that this is clear.

[Not so quick]

I have no experience with block wall or really anything similar. I was trying to communicate that with the way that I wrote the message. I think I can get my neighbor to do the stucco when he does his (he raised his fence). I guess I don't know how difficult mixing and putting the... well you know, doing the block laying will be. Can I learn from a book?

[Joseph Meehan]

I will defer to FireBrick as I am sure he has more experience that I do.

Just off hand, I would say that if you don't have any unknown problems and if you are only planning to add a single row of block to a wall currently in good condition and toped with a finish that you can remove or work with, you should be able to do it. Building a four foot wall without experience (not just a good book) is something else all together.

[FireBrick]

Sure you can, it's not really as difficult as it may look. First off, the term is 'raise it another COURSE'. One row of brick or block or whatever masonry unit is used is a COURSE. Let's hope the wall is straight and plump.

All you need are the block which you can even buy at HD and some mortar. Mortar is the cementitious material that goes between bricks/blocks. It's made from a mixture of cement, lime, and sand.

You place the mortar on the edges of the existing top course, and 'lay' the new block gently on to the mortar and make sure it's level and plumb.

Should be a book at HD which gives pictures that can explain the process better.

As for the stucco. Stucco is another variety of cementitious material made of cement and sand. You spread it on with a flat type trowel.

The book again should explain better.

The average bricklayer can 'lay' ~ 250 to 300 8" block a day double struck/brushed. Just to give you an estimate of how long it may take.

[Not so quick]

[Joseph Meehan]

That is one of the big if's. Is the cap made of a concrete brick shaped solid block or a concrete material manually formed? In either case how easy that is going to be to remove depends on what material was used, how well it was applied and what the current condition is.

It may be as simple as a few hammer blows, or it could be many hours of careful chisel work.

While it does not seem to be an issue in your case, you are not likely to be able to match the joints that are on the existing wall. It is almost certain it will be obvious that the additional block was added after the fact. If you "stucco" it will not show.

[Jeff Cochran]

First off, the term is 'plumb' and not 'plump'. Plumb is the vertical equivalent of the horizontal term 'level'. Plump is what your Ballpark Franks do in the microwave. :)

( Dontcha hate them typos that spell checkin' don't catch...? )

Jeff

[Not so quick]

The cap won't come off with a chisel and hammer. I was thinking of using an electric jack hammer, small.

[Joseph Meehan]

I suspect that is going to make your job a lot more complex. If you can't get a good smooth base to work on, adding an addition row is not going to be as easy. With this addition, I would lean towards suggesting having the pros do it. They will make it look easy so you will think you wasted your money, but in reality, I think it would be money well spent. How long do you plan on living there, that wall is likely to be there a long time.

[FireBrick]

As my belly expanded, necessitating standing farther from the wall I was building...some of the walls had a 'plump' problem which conformed to the concavity of my mid section. :-)))