Training TO: Split Block, Pin and set walls, BUILD 90 & 45 degree inside & outside corners, Install columns and seat walls, Set curves and radius, cap and step down walls & build stairs
You have absolutely no clue the blessing that you’re providing every day. Isn’t that the greatest blessing of them all! Dude you took me from lawn care work where I could not get over 80 yards per week to having the aspiration enough to change the scope of work that we do and it has changed my life. Mad respect!
The more knowledgeable you put out the better Stan! As a construction worker these videos are great to learn and adapt to the skills needed to build these types of walls.
I'm a lawn service business owner and operator, so do any and all things outdoors...! I'm gonna be digging some ponds for fish, but I'm in Florida... it's all sand down here...! Thanks and keep it up and go enjoy some nature today...!
I really appreciate videos like this! I would like to see a video on ground prep; finding where to start and setting up the grade. Thank you for what you do Stan!
I watch A LOT of "how to" videos. This is THE most excellent and informative I have seen. Glad I'm subscribed! Thanks for the chapters and time stamps...wish others would do the same!
42 Min of education? Heck yes!! I love learning this kind of stuff! I am having a great week, and hope you are as well! I wish more people would take the time to do this kind of thing!
Nice! glad your having a good week. I was worried that 42 min of hardcore training might not go over well but I was also hoping that it might help some people out. Appreciate hearing the feedback.
Hey Stan. These 'how to' videos are a blessing to us contractors on how to construct using new materials. Always great to learn from the best. God bless and go get 'em. Greetings from Ireland 🇮🇪 Peter Dunne Landscapes
Excellent how to do your job and homeowner DIY I personally haven't been building walls lately it's good to look at things like this video to keep me educated and relearn methods of building walls one thing I didn't notice in this video I may have overlooked it is the dead man course that is what we call it the first block gets buried it is your concrete footing so to say and how to stair step your wall at the base course I've done a lot of walls on hillside and you are supposed to start at your lowest point and work your way up one thing I forgot to mention all of these non-masonary walls origin from masonry walls you had to have a concrete solid base to stabilize support the wall I am not a masonry but I know this is fact these non-motor walls are for those who do not understand masonry but it still has a lot of the mathematic structure ingenuity involved I am a learning by the seat of my pants almost self-taught this is why these videos that you're producing are helpful I was building these walls and then the company air vault decide to put a educational class for its local contractors thank goodness I was doing at least 90% of it correct but that 10% could cost someone property injury or life again thanks for the videos
I’m trying to build a business for being a contract excavator for a variety of businesses. I’m educating myself on these jobs to help me understand landscaping needs. Thanks for all of these videos
Hey Stan, i hope you and your family is safe as most of Minnesota is experiencing bad weather, i myself am currently in a tornado warning without power. Stay safe
Great video stan like always. I’m new to the lawn care and landscaping field. I want more videos on tutorials on landscaping so I can add more services then the basic clean ups, mowing, planting and etc. Installing- Pavers; patio, walkway, driver way, and steps Concrete- patio’s, walkway, driverways and step Same with asphalt and all the maintenance it may require Installing a fence Building sheds TIA. Please include all tools needed for the projects from hardway to more time saving way tools to get the job done faster.
Gotta love the efflorescence on the stair tread units… glad to see it’s not just my luck, stinks having brand new pallets show up looking like a toddler was slam dunking cookies into a 5 gallon bucket of milk on top of them.
I am novice and have only helped with a couple paver jobs and retaining walls! These videos are awsome and appreciate you taking the time to teach things right!!
I've built a handful of walls with the typical "open cell" blocks and I have to say, the speed that these guys are installing the versa-loc system is mind blowing... AND NO EXTRA ROCK. My step-son just built a wall with these and he loved them except for making corners, since we're both used to getting pre-made pieces. I will be replacing my timber walls this year and have been contemplating this system but have been worried about corners. This is the exact video I needed to help make my decision.
These Videos are a Great Way to Show Non-Builders on How Much Work goes into their Walls and the Cost 💲 Not Only the Materials but the Workmanship. To do it Right the 1st Time and Not 5-10 years later.
Stan. Three years ago I started off on my own doing landscaping and I didn’t even know how to build a retaining wall. I didn’t even know Versalok block existed. But I’m watching your videos alone and finding a supplier that has that block retaining walls are my bread and butter in my business now
this was a great training video i getting ready to do my first major retaining wall and after looking at the specs for the block they are the perfect fit for my needs now to see how they do in pricing
Fantastic video Stan! All your videos are top notch! YES to a paver retaining wall video! I get this request a lot here in Texas. Apparently, with a paver retaining wall you do not need an enginer for that.
This is awesome! Takes alot of time to put these together. I am just beginning a business. These videos will help emensley!! Chris- Broussard, Louisiana
Stan, a video idea. So many times from a landscaping aesthetic I wonder why someone placed the house like they did on a lot, ending up with an awkward yard. How about going to some empty lots for sale, and talking about how you see the land vs. an architect that might only care about setbacks. And where you would place the house and why.
Thank you for being so open to teaching everyone. As always you have outdone yourself in breaking it down. I still suggest hands on training before you dive in head first, but I just learned a few new ideas on retaining walls.
I started as a snow fighter for a, let’s say production based company and moved to enhancements, LOTS of installs and rock bed stuff. Took a small break from landscaping; ie: I had enough of the far drive (and I was young and shithead) started this spring back to landscaping after a year of lumberyard work and I use your videos to stay fresh’d up. From Ohio. Again big thanks 🙏
Great video and tips! I'm getting ready to build my retaining walls and watching all I can. I have approx 400 - 500 linear feet to build, and in some places, the wall will be upwards of 10 ft high! Some parts will go uphill for a driveway. It's going to take me a while for sure, a one man wrecking crew who's too poor to hire a professional!
Wow, this vid got my sub, somtimes hard to find explanatory masonry videos. This is great would love to see all kinds of detailed builds, specially a house build (assuming people still build homes out of brick in the US).
Great video Stan very informative starting to realize how much more I like versa block compared to Alan Block or some other systems that we use in our area
Information videos are sweet! But I also love your jobsite videos the most cause you learn so much by you and your crews and all the new and cool tools for hardscaping that us regular guys can't get!
Home owner about to build a 100'+ feet of retaining wall / raised bed. I was inspired by your channel and will be using versalock so this is very relevant for me!
Love these kind of videos. Would love to see something in depth with the estimating side of things. Sq footage, ordering materials, etc for hardscaping. Would love a patio video similar to this retaining wall video!
These are the kind of videos ypu should be snashing out. Your crew are tradesman and need to explain the how and why your crew and their systems work cohesively
Definitely could have used this in 2018. I had a hard time finding corner blocks and was trying to split em by hitting where I had scored em, maybe one out of five came out decent. Also there is a diagram on versa lok site that shows you two ways to do stairs. I am not near the skill level or Stan’s wall “Base men”, so that probably would have led to to an uneven wall and I was going to do the steps as cut in and using the required gravel for each step instead of cutting out that section of soil and building the steps from a whole base of just versa lok blocks (would have needed another pallet or so more, and we spent wayyy too much at that point).
Firstly, great video. I am always happy to see a new video pop up in my subscriptions from the Dirt Monkey. As for other training videos, I would like to see a natural stone video. I did a rather large wall about 20 years ago and I followed the recommendations of the place I bought the stone from and it held up pretty good, but now the wall has shifted and I want to pull it down and put it back up. I probably took on a more complicate project as it was two walls, one with a 14 ft. radius and the second wall with a 16 ft. radius. Both walls come off the house but the smaller radius wall covers more circumference of a circle and the 16 ft. comes off the wall about 3 ft father down the house and ties back into the 14 ft. radius wall. When completed, the 14 ft. wall is probably about 52 to 60 in. tall that ties back to our slope in the yard and the 16 ft. is about 24 in. tall. not sure if that provides a good mental image. Originally I put a couple of layers of really nice stone below grade, but this time I don't want to put all that nice stone underground. Originally I dug a trough and layered in packed screenings (small limestone in IL) to about 10 to 12 in thick and used that as my base. So this time I am thinking going the same way, except put courses of cheaper cinder blocks for a couple of courses until I get to grade and then build off that. I am planning to power wash the stone before I put back down. Anyway looking for suggestions form yourself or any of your fans. Thinking about using a weed barrier. Last time I back filled as I went to tie in the perpendicular stones I put in every 3 ft. or so not sure how I would incorporate that.
I am currently working on a how to build a retaining wall video that will hopefully address a few of these questions. Stay tuned- it should be ready in a few weeks or so
Yess they are great an coming from somone who is in the feild 100% is way more helpful then a deskjock an you know all the little tips an tricks thanks so much for your knowledge
your the man Stan! Wish you all the best, keep up the great videos always lots of content to watch and very informative! coming from a pool guy down in canada :)
Videos are amazing! Starting up my own company this year. Doing landscaping and equipment work. Would love some more paver videos and irrigation work! Keep it up
