cmu block question

scotty

I am building a foundation for my home and was wondering how many courses of block high can mortar joints be before a structural problem may occur. I have run into a problem of a mortar joint being two courses high befor I can alternate it.

concretemasonry

You coukd lay up the block to 8' high in one day if you are fast enough and do not have to grout.

If you have steel and grout, then you should go up half of that before grouting - then lay the rest and grout if the plans call for steel and grout. I hope you understand my description of the process if this is your first wall.

You should lay the block in running bond with each course alternated. If you are stacking, you made a mistake on your cousing layout.

The first course (full block, half block and corner block) and the corner leads are most important parts. After that, it is a matter of filling between the corner leads and building them up vertically as you go. Just keep a good string line. If you are not square, you will have problems for the rest of the job, especially if you put wood on top.

Tscarborough

A mortar joint in a structural CMU is only one mortar joint high. Half bond, i.e. laying alternate course so that the joints fall in the middle of the preceding is not done for esthetics.

That said, just get back on bond on the next course.