Need help with circular seat wall

[TypeRx]

Hi folks -- I am attempting to build a couple free-standing circular seat walls around my yet to be completed paver patio. For the seat walls, I am using Unilock Quarrystone. I have a few questions.

1. Can anyone tell the me the radius size the medium and large Quarrystones can acheive (without cutting)? They are already angle cut and come in a 12" unit and a 15" unit. I put a few 15" next to eachother and it doesn't seem like there will come anywhere close to the radius I want with the way they are pre-cut.

2. My half wall circle radii are 93" and 128". Is there any way to easily to caclulate the cuts (based on unit size) I need to make to make a nice circle using these stones? It just seem really painful and I am not so sure I am really up for the task. Well, I can do it, but I envision myself having to rent the cut-off for several days as there are going to be lots of cuts (base and each level, I think I will need 5 courses).

3. Is there any point to using the plastic pieces that come with the Unilock stones? I can see that they may help the wall hold together as a single unit better but the Unilock delivery guy told me that nobody uses them.

4. Finally -- anyone interested in a side project to put up the seat walls? I am in the NW Chicago burbs. Figured not, as you guys are busy with real work, but figured I would try.

Thanks so much!!

[scl]

RX
Good questions, with not much favorable for answers! I've installed quite a bit of Quarry Stone and still haven't figured out a decent radius formula, but you'll find that the only way you'll make this look custom is to cut them in. Unilock's install guide says a typical radius for the 3 piece pattern is 34.65", but it sounds like thats a bit severe for your project. Time wise its not that bad once you get the hang of marking and using a cut saw.
I'm over in the west side of Illinois and if I weren't out of my mind busy right now I'd give it a look. Gotta go to St. Charles in August anyways, but don't know if that helps.
As far as the plastic tubes, they work great for walls and in reality you can't glue walls together due to the fact you have to let moisture through. For seat walls you don't need them as you'll glue it up anyways.
Hope that helps!
Scott

[Bill Schwab]

Unilock might have some litterature, and if not, I usually went to Unilock Chicago's outdoor open 24-7 showroom and they usually had what I was looking to get installed to see. I moved before Quarry Stone was made, and Unilock does not go west of the Mississippi, so, I'm unfamiliar with it. That showroom was really a big help when we were in business back there.

[TypeRx]

Thanks for the help, guys!! Unilock's "showroom" is in Aurora, which is about 50 miles from me. I don't think I will head there unless I really get stumped.

It looks like cutting a lot of stone is the way to go, which is fine. The rental (14" gas concrete saw with diamond blade) is like $192 per week at Home Depot, with a 35.00 fee for the blade, with allowable wear up to 0.01", if memory serves correct. I guess I will just go that route.

For the base level, should I worry about getting the stones to marry to eachother perfectly or can I just backfill the gaps? I would think it would be best to marry them but if not, I can get started on the base level and just worry about keeping the joints nice and pretty for the exposed levels of the walls.

Oh yeah, I am up in Lake Zurich area so if anyone on this forum is interested in helping tackle the seat walls, just send me a PM or reply.

Thanks!