In a message dated 7/21/00 9:54:35 AM Central Daylight Time,
[log in to unmask] writes:

> Have your recommendations changed based on this further info?

Again: don't listen to anything that I recommend.

Clay behind... wet clay holds a lot of water, and is heavy. I think you will
not be able to relieve the clay of the water using weep holes in the wall.
Weep holes may have no effect on the assumed ongoing movement of the wall.
You are building a dam of sorts, only to hold clay, wet clay. Retaining walls
are earth dams. If the block wall is not a good earth dam then putting stone
on the front has to be done in a manner to improve the holding back character.

Since you are going to build up dry stone in front of the wall I recommend
that you dig down a bit for a good footing to the stone, extend the width of
the dry work at the area of greatest distress in the block wall, and banter
the stone wall up against the block wall. You have to banter a dry stone
retaining wall, regardless, or at least figure out a way to anchor it to the
block wall. It helps, though, if the block wall is functional to begin with.

Since holes in the block wall are not aesthetic, suggest thoughtful
consideration of taking a sledge hammer and simply bashing out every third or
fourth concrete block on the bottom course -- that is, unless it will cause
the entire wall to fall down, in which case you rebuild with a traditional
dry laid stone wall. You can also get a heavy steel pick, like is used for
digging post holes, and stab it into the wall with a few energetic motions
and voila... instant weep holes. Been there, done that. Wear personal safety
equipment. By the way, if the wall falls down real easy when you bash it with
a sledge hammer then it will prove out that the wall would have probably not
stood very much longer, stone veneer or not, and you will have saved yourself
some money & aggravation for not having to rebuild everything again two years
from now.

Personal opinion, any good landscape stonemason worth their salt should be
able to remove the block wall and rebuild it all better with dry stone -- and
rather quickly end with a retaining wall that actually works. Are you sure
you are not talking to brick & block masons that like to pretend they
understand stone?

An aside, the mortar is the least strong portion of a concrete block wall and
removing it is not nearly as much of a problem as compromising the integrity
of the block, which holds itself together fairly well unless bashed with a
sledge hammer.

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