Does laying a concrete block garden wall with no mortar in the vertical joints make the wall more durable?
Many concrete block walls around yards in a friend's neighborhood were laid (many years ago) with no mortar in the vertical joints and painted with a flat paint that now looks more like a stain than a painted surface. These walls have aged well. They are as attractive as any of the other concrete block walls around town. I wonder if omitting the mortar in vertical joints keeps water from washing out the mortar in the other joints.