What is Involved with Dry-Stack Cinder Block Construction?

Q:  What is involved with dry-stack cinder block construction?

A: Dry-stacked block home construction uses concrete masonry units (blocks) to erect walls without mortar. It is among the most cost effective yet impervious home building materials available. Solid concrete walls work just as well but aren’t as cost effective due to the expensive forms required. Dry-stacked walls are just as strong and much simpler for a DIY builder. With some dry-stack methods, conventional concrete blocks are simply stacked, and then locked into place by a coating of fiber-reinforced Surface Bonding Concrete (SBC) that is applied to both the inside and outside of the walls. Some dry-stack systems use interlocking blocks that are easily assembled horizontally in an offset method. The walls are then reinforced with rebar and concrete added to the cavities (except for where electrical and plumbing are located). After constructing a home with concrete blocks, you can finish the exterior with brick, stucco, siding, etc., so there is no difference in the external appearance of a block home from that of a conventional stick-framed house.