Well, my mason skills are not the best, but I’ve got the corner started as of this morning.

Fortunately, the top block on the corner is as high as the stem wall has to go, so I’m not going to test my mortaring skills too much.

After grout gets pumped into the stem wall, two courses of CEB (compressed earth blocks) get mortared on top. I’ll use those two courses to make sure everything is straight, level and plumb, then the rest of the blocks get dry stacked to the wall height. Window and door rough bucks (wood framing) go in along the way, along with lintels above those frames to hold the weight of the blocks above.

2" rigid foam insulation like I used on the perimeter of the footer will go on the outside of the stem wall, then the CEBs will be laid to the edge of the insulation as per NM code.

2" of the same insulation will go on the outside of the CEB wall once it is up to meet HERS energy guidelines.

In case you were wondering, those are 12" x 8" x 16" CMUs, so it’s quite a workout laying them.