When installing the base course, use a VERSA-Lifter for easy placement of units. The prongs on the lifter are inserted into pin holes in each Standard unit. Lifting the handle secures the lifter to the unit and makes for easy, balanced lifting and placement. Ask your VERSA-LOK dealer about the VERSA-Lifter.
Begin the base course by carefully placing and aligning units side by side in the center of the leveling pad. A stringline stretched behind the wall will help you position the units in a straight line.
To ensure accurate placement, use the smooth back sides of the units for alignment rather than the textured front faces. The front faces of adjacent units should fit tightly together and unit bottoms should contact the leveling pad completely.
Level the units front to back and side to side using a 4-foot hand level. A shorter torpedo level may be easier for leveling front to back (fig. 1). You can tap high points with a rubber mallet or hand tamper to achieve level (fig. 2).
Take the time to get your base-course level, because even minor unevenness in the base-course will be amplified and difficult to correct after several courses have been installed. After the base-course is completed, replace and compact the soil in front of and behind the units. The backfill behind and in front of all embedded units should be soil.
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