Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
We have a stamped concrete patio that we're going to freshen up this year (it's original 2000). Has held up quite well, and watched a walkway section get removed 4 years ago and saw how substantial it is.
We'd like to do a knee-high sitting wall for some added privacy in one section, which is adjacent to the blacktop driveway and yard. In the attached photo with the two chairs, you'll see the stamped concrete patio and the border stamped edges along the driveway and the mulch bed behind the chairs.
The other photo is a chapel wall we had installed in our old house along with a paver patio set atop of concrete blocks (strong sloping yard). I remember watching them use adhesive to stack them one on top of another (after they had their pattern set). That wall was very sturdy to say the least. Was surprised how sturdy given just goop with a caulking gun was used to connect them all together.
Question - can I simply attach pavers to the stamped concrete with some type of liquid nails or adhesive and build up the wall that way? Or do I need to actually go down into the dirt (meaning removing part of the blacktop driveway as well) and set the wall down in the ground with a gravel base?
Assuming your concrete slab is 4 or 5 inches thick, ( you said substantial) so you should be fine with building a stack block wall on top of the slab while using block adhesive to ensure the blocks do not move.
Not sure how your patio drains,what direction, etc so you should leave spaces between the first course of block so that water has a way out under the wall.
Thanks Rickcin, very happy to hear this! This just became a DIY gig for me instead of another check written and having to wait to replenish the dying money tree...
Yeah, it's at least 5 inches thick that's for sure. The guys who pulled the walkway out 4 years ago were surprised at how deep it went. I'd say it's more in the 7-8 inches thick territory with rebarb in it.
Water sheds slightly off towards the grass in the back yard, but not a noticeable slope effect. I was thinking that when I do this, I'll make sure not to get any of the glue in the stamped crevices of the patio to let the water flow underneath in those areas. I have a low-level LED power line running already right along the edge of the patio in the mulch area, might see if I can tap off of that to add a light or two.
Yeah the builder didn't haircut anything on this house back then at all, if anything over-did it on a few items that have allowed for it to hold up this long without anything other than cosmetic issues here and there. We had large trucks backed onto that area in the photo when we started doing work in the back shortly after we moved in, didn't budge. Had to pull the walkway because the irrigation lines ran under it and the previous owners never winterized the system, so the lines were all leaking badly. Probably could've just re-piped, but turned out to be a good spot for a little side paver patio for a hot tub hidden away. Those dudes were not happy when they came to pull the walkway out with their pick axe's and whatnot. Didn't take them long to go for the power tools instead.
Thanks Rickcin, very happy to hear this! This just became a DIY gig for me instead of another check written and having to wait to replenish the dying money tree...
Yeah, it's at least 5 inches thick that's for sure. The guys who pulled the walkway out 4 years ago were surprised at how deep it went. I'd say it's more in the 7-8 inches thick territory with rebarb in it.
Water sheds slightly off towards the grass in the back yard, but not a noticeable slope effect. I was thinking that when I do this, I'll make sure not to get any of the glue in the stamped crevices of the patio to let the water flow underneath in those areas. I have a low-level LED power line running already right along the edge of the patio in the mulch area, might see if I can tap off of that to add a light or two.
You're going to want to leave more drainage room than just those stamped crevices. They will fill with muck pretty quickly - and it'd be a real pain to try and control the adhesive from getting in there. Just leave yourself a 3/4-1" space every third block or so.
You're going to want to leave more drainage room than just those stamped crevices. They will fill with muck pretty quickly - and it'd be a real pain to try and control the adhesive from getting in there. Just leave yourself a 3/4-1" space every third block or so.
Yes, leave decent sized gaps on the first course of blocks. You might have to cut an equal amount off of each base block so you can maintain “bond” with the next courses. Sketch out and dimension your desired bond on paper which would most likely be a stack bond or a typical running bond meaning the next course starts at the center of the block it’s sitting on.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
