The Good Banter Thread

[baeya]

I will be taking a lot of pictures... I already screwed up the first layer of blocks........LOL....I just got home with more blocks and the bags of paver base.
I'm going to use retaining wall blocks for the outside (showing) part of the wall. I think I'm going to use regular concrete blocks on the wall next to the pond, not sure yet.
JW, what do you think you'll use for your wall? It's already too dark to do anything tonight. I have tomorrow off, but it is family day. We have our grandchildren every Thursday, then their parents, my mom and boyfriend, my daughter and a few others come over for dinner. We've been doing that since our first grandchild was 6 months old. He will be 5 tomorrow and he now has a 2 1/2 year old brother and a 4 month old sister!
The point is that I'm not sure if I'll get much done tomorrow, depends on if the kids want to 'help'!

 

[sissy]

Thats how I built mine the top row is concrete block that I hammered rebar into and the on the outside it is reataining wall block and on top of the reataining wall block I have 2x12 boards

 

[sissy]

I will have to take some new pics

 

[taherrmann4]

Baeya are your blocks the one lock each row together? You may also want to use some construction adhesive on each row so they don't move. I am not sure how many rows high you are going but that would help lock them together. If you use regular concrete blocks on the wall next to the pond how will you anchor these in to keep them from falling into the pond with the added pressure against them from the bog? I think you will have to make a concrete footer and then cement them together.

 

[sissy]

All she should need is rebar with cement in the block as the rebar should be pounded in at least 18 to 24 inches and I used the blocks with the lip on the back and did not use construction adhesive .She may have to watch out for frost heave in her area but so far I have never had a problem with mine yet .Maybe it's just dumb luck but I will take it and this pond has been like this for about 4 years now .On the bottom of the 2x12 I just screwed blocks on and they fit right inside of the block and I primed everything real good .But as soon as the weather changes I am taking those off and using the new pressure treated wood they have out now ,this way no rot in the future .The new pressure treated wood is done differently now and is 100% safe and it really looks good too .

 

[j.w]

Baeya I don't even know for sure if I'll ever do it. Don't have a clue on blocks or anything. I'm gonna see how it goes for you and play it by ear. Thanks for the pix and enjoy your family day, it sounds nice and like a lot of fun!

 

[taherrmann4]

Come on JW get into the bog thing, would look really good in your pond and you could then take up some of the fields of grass you have!

 

[j.w]

A bog for my sized pond would not even make a dent in my acre of grasslands tmann. I would really like to have one and I'm going to sit back and watch baeya do it and then see how hard it turns out to be or easy. I don't like the having to put stakes in and glue stuff. I'm a kind of just dig it in and set it up kinda person. If it starts to get too complicated I get frustrated. Maybe hubby will help me w/ the stakes and glue parts. We shall see. If I do it I will post it.

 

[baeya]

Tman, yes the ones with the 'locking lip' thingy on them. I went online last night and downloaded the installation instructions.

http://www.anchorwall.com/cmsVirtua...nstructions/Generic Install Inst-WIGEN912.pdf

The concrete blocks won't be right next to the water, I'm going to keep the rocks that are around the edge where they are. But, I will put some of that bar stuff in them and maybe put some of that paving base stuff under them. Do you think putting rebar and filling with pea gravel would be enough to keep the regular blocks from shifting???

 

[addy1]

laughing jw, you could have a nice bog with just a hole in the ground. Pump the water into it from the pond, a stream, a pipe a weir takes it back to the pond. When you dig the bog save some of the dirt to raise the land a little higher than the pond............done
Water in water out lol

Baeya, if I recall right, one way to keep from having frost heave is to have moisture drain away from under the blocks. a sand / gravel base.
None of my rocks have heaved yet............lol and the one bank of the pond is all stacked rocks, stacked at a slant.

 

[baeya]

OH! And I got the adhesive stuff, too! I'm a good girl!!

 

[addy1]

OH! And I got the adhesive stuff, too! I'm a good girl!!

good gal!

 

[taherrmann4]

Tman, yes the ones with the 'locking lip' thingy on them. I went online last night and downloaded the installation instructions.

http://www.anchorwal...st-WIGEN912.pdf

The concrete blocks won't be right next to the water, I'm going to keep the rocks that are around the edge where they are. But, I will put some of that bar stuff in them and maybe put some of that paving base stuff under them. Do you think putting rebar and filling with pea gravel would be enough to keep the regular blocks from shifting???

I think it depends how high you are going with the block, because these don't lock together I am not sure just filling them with pea gravel will hold. Is what I would do is test that theory with a few courses. Set them up on some firm surface say your sidewalk, to get a true result I would go about 3 blocks long and however high you plan to go then see if you can push them over easily. Now the rebar will help anchor them as well. I always go to the extreme when doing things. When I built my arbor I anchored that thing to the house with a crap load of bolts, the only way that thing is coming down is if the whole wall falls.

 

[baeya]

I'm going to dig a 4" trench tomorrow (I hope) and put the paving base in....once I get the darn first course down I think it will get easier. Not sure when the liner is being delivered. My son has a ton of pea gravel at his house left over from having to put a new raised bed septic system in. Poor family had to move out of their newly remodled house the first week of December and didn't get back in till first week of June because of the wet spring.

 

[baeya]

I think I only need to go 2 blocks (regular ones) high to come up with the height I need for the bog, right???