Covering a Block Wall With Clay Pavers

[btuser]

I did a walk-way and scored about 2000 clay pavers (can you believe people tear these out to put in cement?) but only used about 1/2 of them. Since then I've started building a 12x15 trinangle planter thingy out of some concrete blocks. My plan was to face the concrete blocks with the clay pavers but I'm getting cold feet. I don't want to mortar them into place (I'm not that good a mason) plus trying get a decent bond on solid clay pavers would be tedius to say the least. I was thinking of maybe a caulking compound but not sure it would stick that well.

Its only about 3' at the highest. I just don't want to do it again.

 

[Later]

If they are the ones that I picture, about 2 - 2.5" thick they'd be tough to stick to a block wall without a footing, IMHO. Anything stuck to it would probably pop off with freeze-thaw this winter.

 

[Dune]

You need a lintal, ledger or a footing.

Masonry supply stores sell corrogated metal clips, to assist in bonding.

 

[btuser]

The blocks rest on a 14" reinforced concrete footing. I've got a keyed spot on the bottom of the footing for the first row of paver that I plan on mortaring into place. There's a row of wall ties on the mid and top row of blocks. I'm not planning on veneering to the blocks so much as hiding them behind a stacked wall of paver, then capping them with granite (another throw-away, people are crazy) edging. I've lined the inside face of the structure with 6mm plastic and was very careful back-filling around the edges in an attempt to keep moisture from moving inside to out, then freezing and blowing out the bricks.

I've tried some concrete paver adhesive and was not impressed. It peeled off the clay paver like silly putty, not holding particularly well at all. This may not have been an accurate test however, because what I'm really looking for is shearing strength and not pull strength. I'm going to try mortar for a test. If it holds satisfactorily maybe I'll surprise myself with my mad skills. More than likely I will go insane.

 

[Dune]

One thing you can do to greatly increase the bond strength of mortor to bricks is soak the bricks in water overnight before using.

 

[Later]

With a keyed footing and wall ties to hold them to the block wall you should be ok. Using the wall for stability rather than attachment should work wekk. Basically just like brick veneer. Be sure to include weep holes though.