THANKS! I'm taking notes and saving links and starring posts.
I could have higher walls, and more stable walls, if the bottom row or two were cinder blocks. I would probably paint mine a red-brick color to match all m y concrete pavers. In retrospect, I could have bought gray ones and then painted them neutral colors.
For sanding, if you're not using power tools, you might try what I was taught for smoothing cinder bloc ks before priming. Use a fragment of one cinder block to rub down the blocks in the wall. You don't get a satin-smooth finish, but it knocks down the high spots right away, and the c hunk you use to rub rapidly becomes pretty smooth.
P.S. I find that SOME pavers have white salts accumulate on the outer surface, and other pavers develop a line or splotch of green algae (or maybe fine lichens). It doesn't bother me much, but water-resistant paint might prevent that.
Do you see anything like that with cinder blocks?
