02-12-2015, 08:15 AM
The driving force behind dry stack seems to be that it is easier, not requiring the skills necessary to lay up block in the traditional way. I have read however that if you try to dry stack blocks 8' high you will discover that the blocks are not perfectly square and that there is a lot of trying different blocks and putting them up only to take them down and spin them 180 degrees so that whatever slant is built into the blocks gets alternated and cancels itself out. The first course needs to get set in a bed of mortar to get a level start, then when you get halfway up it helps to set another course in mortar so you can start level again. There are savings but it is not as carefree as most references to the process on the internet would lead you to believe. While it may not require as much skilled labor it still requires a lot of unskilled labor and attention to detail. There is after all no free lunch. I am never theless very intrigued by the process as well as by conventional block construction, both with plenty of rebar and the cores grouted solid. I would be interested in straight poured concrete if there was a way for me to DIY. I have not read much about AAC construction. Does it provide its own insulation?