HELPFUL HINTS
To assure a beautifully finished
and long-lasting retaining wall.
ORDERING AND DELIVERY OF YOUR AMASTONE BLOCKS –
- BLOCK QUANTITIES - Be sure to order enough Amastone blocks to allow for at least one course of Amastone to be buried at the base of your wall.
- CAPS - Amastone Caps are 18” long so you can calculate the number of caps you’ll need for your wall by taking the total linear length of your wall and dividing it by 1.5 to determine the number of caps. Be sure to allow a few extras if you are adding any stairs, curves or corners to your wall.
- CORNER BLOCKS - You can order corner blocks to match your wall color selection if you are going to put a 90 degree corner in your wall. These will save a lot of cutting and will make your wall look professionally installed.
- DELIVERY - It will be helpful to have your blocks delivered as close to the wall location as possible; ideally in front of where you will stack your wall.
OTHER MATERIALS YOU’LL NEED –
- SOIL REINFORCEMENT (GEOFABRIC) - If your wall will be over 32” tall (4 courses) you are going to need to use some sort of soil reinforcement behind the blocks. See the typical cross section on the next page to better understand how this important component of your wall fits into your construction sequence. You can use nylon “geogrids” or in smaller walls you can use nylon “geofabrics” like garden weed barriers available at your garden center or construction supply store. (Do not use sheets of plastic for your soil reinforcement.) You’ll need for your rolls of soil reinforcement to be at least 4’ wide so that you can roll them out along the length of your wall during construction.
- GRAVEL - You’ll need angular (crushed) gravel for your base and to fill within and immediately behind your Amastone blocks. Figure at least 0.8 cubic feet of rock for each square foot of retaining wall. This should provide enough rock for your bedding, core-fill and for 12” of rock behind your blocks. Don’t use “pea gravel” or sand to fill the block cores. Try to have the gravel delivered as close to the wall as possible.
TOOLS YOU’LL NEED –
- Personal Safety Equipment – Safety glasses, leather gloves, and ear protection if you are using a demolition saw.
- String line and stakes - for assuring proper alignment of your base blocks.
- Levels – Both a 4’ and a 12” level will be very helpful.
- Shovels and garden rake – for excavating your base trench and moving your gravel and backfill materials around.
- Rubber mallet - for aligning your blocks.
- Razor knife – for cutting your geofabric.
- Compaction Equipment – you’ll want to rent a good “jumping jack” compactor to assure that you achieve full compaction of your backfill soils. Don’t skimp on this equipment because it will assure that your wall looks and functions excellently for years to come.
- Demolition Saw – You may want to rent a 14” gas-powered demolition saw with a diamond blade if you need to cut your blocks or caps. You can save on your rental time if you lay out and mark all of your cap cuts before you rent your saw.
- Wheelbarrow – To help you move your block, gravel and backfill materials around your site.
- Adhesive - "Liquid Nails" or similar construction adhesive – to glue the top course of blocks and your caps in place.
