Masonry block walls are especially popular in Tucson for enclosing back yards and demarcating home property lines. Typically when a Tucson homeowner is ready to replace wood or chain-link fencing, she will choose a concrete block wall. There are several considerations when getting bids for cinder block walls from contractors.
The first consideration is what kind of materials to use. Common choices are natural stone, slump block, fencing block, or a standard 8″x8′x16″ gray cement block. Most block walls that are built after the home is built or when a home is remodeled are made of standard block because it’s the easiest to work with and the easiest to apply stucco to. Most new construction homes where the wall is built along with the home use fencing block because its the least expensive masonry fencing material and and can be constructed very quickly. Natural stone and slump block materials are chosen for aesthetic reasons. So for remodeling work, first consider the standard block and then move to other choices if standard block doesn’t work.
The second consideration is whether to stucco or not. Stucco greatly improves the aesthetics of standard block walls and fencing block walls. However, because of cost considerations, fencing block is typically not stuccoed. Slump block and natural stone walls are typically not stuccoed either for aesthetic reasons. If stucco is applied, make sure that stucco mortar mix is used, there are at least 2 coats of stucco, and the stucco texture matches the rest of the house.
The last consideration is the strength of the walls. The city of Tucson requires that any free standing block wall over 6 ft. or a retaining wall over 3ft. has an engineered design (i.e. plans must be submitted to the city with an engineer signed off). For walls below this height, make sure that the conrete footing is reinforced with rebar and is at least twice as wide and as deep as the width of the masonry block. Also, retaining walls should be rebar re-inforced and be at least partially filled in with concrete.
When building a block wall, the right choice of materials and construction will ensure many years of maintenance free privacy and increase the value of your property.