Method and apparatus for double faced wall
A hardscaping unit includes a first block fixedly attached to a second block. The method of assembling the hardscaping unit includes the steps of forming a first block from a first material, placing a second material into a mold, contacting a surface of the first block with the second material that is in the mold, maintaining contact of the surface of the first block with the second material while transitioning the second material from a first state to a second state, the second state being more solid than the first state, and when in the second state the second material forms a second block that is fixedly attached to the first block.
1. A hardscaping unit, comprising:
a dry cast concrete backer block comprising spaced apart, opposing, front and back surfaces, the front surface being substantially flat and having a height and a width, the backer block further comprising spaced apart, opposing, sides;
a wet cast concrete veneer block comprising (i) a substantially flat contact surface substantially coextensive in height and width with the height and width of the front surface and (ii) an opposing simulated stone surface, the contact surface being chemically bonded to the front surface throughout substantially the entirety of an area defined by the height and width of the front and contact surfaces;
the contact surface being affixed to the front surface by chemical bonding of the wet cast concrete to the dry cast concrete during a molding phase of the veneer block wherein the front surface is in contact with the contact surface while the wet cast concrete is in a mold that defines the simulated stone surface, and wherein the backer block is formed from a mix having a water to cement ratio of 0.3 to 0.36 and the veneer block is formed of a mix having a water to cement ratio of at least 0.4 and the adhesion occurs by contact of the wet cast concrete to the front surface of backer block while the wet cast concrete is in a liquid phase and when the dry cast concrete is in a solid phase;
the backer block and affixed veneer block defining the hardscaping unit;
recesses in the sides of the backer block adapted to receive a hand and defining a handhold for grasping the hardscaping unit;
the hardscaping unit having substantially flat opposing top and bottom surfaces so as to allow vertical stacking thereof to form a hardscaped wall having a simulated natural stone exterior face.
2. The hardscaping unit according to claim 1 wherein the front surface comprises notches filled with the wet cast concrete of the veneer block.
3. The hardscaping unit according to claim 1 wherein the front and back surfaces are substantially parallel.
4. The hardscaping unit according to claim 3 wherein the contact surface is parallel with the front and back surfaces.
5. The hardscaping unit according to claim 1 wherein the veneer block extends over, covers and is affixed to at least one of the sides so as to define a corner hardscaping unit.
6. The hardscaping unit according to claim 1 further comprising an adhesive that aids in chemically bonding the front and contact surfaces.
7. The hardscaping unit according to claim 2 wherein the notches comprise a base and parallel sidewalls.
8. The hardscaping according to claim 2 wherein the notches comprise sidewalls that diverge away from each other in a direction from a base portion of the notch toward a top portion of the respective notch.