Veneers for walls, retaining walls, retaining wall blocks, and the like

Abstract

Veneers for walls, retaining walls, retaining wall blocks, gabions, wire faces, and other structures are provided. Various methods of attaching the veneers are also described. A combination of a wall block and a veneer is provided. The wall block has a front face with a block connection space, and the veneer has a front face with a veneer connection portion. The veneer is attached to the front face of the wall block by the veneer connection portion, which is disposed in the block connection space.

1 . A wall comprising two or more wall blocks and two or more veneers, each wall block having opposed top and bottom surfaces, opposed first and second side surfaces and a front face, the front face having a block connection space, each veneer having opposed top and bottom surfaces, opposed first and second side surfaces and a front face, each veneer having a veneer connection portion which is shaped to interlock with the block connection space to attach the veneer to the front face of one or more wall blocks, the veneers being attached to the front faces of the wall blocks by the veneer connection portions which are disposed in the block connection spaces, and wherein the veneers have front faces of at least two different sizes. 
     
     
         2 . The wall of  claim 1 , wherein the front face of at least one veneer is larger than the front face of any wall block to which it is attached. 
     
     
         3 . The wall of  claim 1 , wherein the walls blocks comprising the wall have front faces that are of the same size. 
     
     
         4 . The wall of  claim 1 , wherein the majority of the wall blocks comprising the wall have front faces that are of the same size. 
     
     
         5 . The wall of  claim 1 , wherein at least two adjacent wall blocks have block connection spaces that connect to form a contiguous block connection space. 
     
     
         6 . The wall of  claim 5 , wherein the contiguous block connection space is oriented in a vertical direction so that a veneer connection portion can slide in a vertical direction in the contiguous block connection space between the two adjacent blocks. 
     
     
         7 . The wall of  claim 1 , wherein at least two veneers are attached to each other by tongue and groove. 
     
     
         8 . The wall of  claim 1 , wherein at least one veneer has a top lip shaped to be received in a lower recessed portion of the top surface of a wall block. 
     
     
         9 . The wall combination of  claim 1 , wherein the veneer connection portion and the block connection space form a dovetail connection. 
     
     
         10 . The wall of  claim 1 , wherein at least one veneer is a pre-cast concrete veneer. 
     
     
         11 . The wall of  claim 1 , wherein at least one wall block is a dry cast concrete wall block. 
     
     
         12 . The wall of  claim 1 , wherein at least one wall block is a wet cast concrete wall block. 
     
     
         13 . The wall of  claim 10 , wherein at least one wall block is a dry cast concrete wall block. 
     
     
         14 . The wall of  claim 10 , wherein at least one wall block is a wet cast concrete wall block. 
     
     
         15 . The wall of  claim 1 , wherein at least one veneer is a real stone veneer. 
     
     
         16 . The wall of  claim 15 , wherein at least one wall block is a dry cast concrete wall block. 
     
     
         17 . The wall of  claim 15 , wherein at least one wall block is a wet cast concrete wall block. 
     
     
         18 . The wall of  claim 1 , wherein at least one veneer is made of polymer. 
     
     
         19 . The wall of  claim 18 , wherein at least one wall block is a dry cast concrete wall block. 
     
     
         20 . The wall of  claim 18 , wherein at least one wall block is a wet cast concrete wall block. 
     
     
         21 . The wall of  claim 1 , wherein at least one wall block has an open space. 
     
     
         22 . The wall of  claim 1 , wherein at least one veneer connection portion comprises friction fins. 
     
     
         23 . The wall of  claim 1 , wherein at least one block connection space is in the shape of a cylinder, trapezoidal column, hexagonal column, or keyhole-shaped column. 
     
     
         24 . The wall of  claim 1 , wherein at least one wall block comprises two or more wall block connection spaces. 
     
     
         25 . The wall of  claim 24 , wherein the at least one wall block comprises just two wall block connection spaces. 
     
     
         26 . The wall of  claim 24 , wherein the wall block comprises just three wall block connection spaces. 
     
     
         27 . The wall of  claim 1 , wherein at least one veneer connection portion can be slid into at least one block connection space. 
     
     
         28 . The wall of  claim 1 , wherein at least one veneer connection portion can be snapped into at least one block connection space. 
     
     
         29 . A wall comprising two or more wall blocks, two or more veneers, and two or more connectors, each wall block having opposed top and bottom surfaces, opposed first and second side surfaces and a front face, the front face having a block connection space, each veneer having opposed top and bottom surfaces, opposed first and second side surfaces and a front face, each veneer having a veneer connection space, each connector being shaped to interlock with the block connection space and the veneer connection space to attach the veneer to the front face of one or more wall blocks, the veneers being attached to the front faces of the wall blocks by the connectors which are disposed in the block connection spaces and the veneer connection spaces, and wherein the veneers have front faces of at least two different sizes. 
     
     
         30 . The wall of  claim 29 , wherein the front face of at least one veneer is larger than the front face of any wall block to which it is attached. 
     
     
         31 . The wall of  claim 29 , wherein the walls blocks comprising the wall have front faces that are of the same size. 
     
     
         32 . The wall of  claim 29 , wherein the majority of the wall blocks comprising the wall have front faces that are of the same size. 
     
     
         33 . The wall of  claim 29 , wherein at least two adjacent wall blocks have block connection spaces that connect to form a contiguous block connection space. 
     
     
         34 . The wall of  claim 33 , wherein the contiguous block connection space is oriented in a vertical direction so that a connector can slide in a vertical direction in the contiguous block connection space between the two adjacent blocks. 
     
     
         35 . The wall of  claim 29 , wherein at least two veneers are attached to each other by tongue and groove. 
     
     
         36 . The wall of  claim 29 , wherein at least one veneer has a top lip shaped to be received in a lower recessed portion of the top surface of a wall block. 
     
     
         37 . The wall combination of  claim 29 , wherein the connector and the block connection space form a dovetail connection. 
     
     
         38 . The wall of  claim 29 , wherein at least one veneer is a pre-cast concrete veneer. 
     
     
         39 . The wall of  claim 29 , wherein at least one wall block is a dry cast concrete wall block. 
     
     
         40 . The wall of  claim 29 , wherein at least one wall block is a wet cast concrete wall block. 
     
     
         41 . The wall of  claim 38 , wherein at least one wall block is a dry cast concrete wall block. 
     
     
         42 . The wall of  claim 38 , wherein at least one wall block is a wet cast concrete wall block. 
     
     
         43 . The wall of  claim 29 , wherein at least one veneer is a real stone veneer. 
     
     
         44 . The wall of  claim 43 , wherein at least one wall block is a dry cast concrete wall block. 
     
     
         45 . The wall of  claim 43 , wherein at least one wall block is a wet cast concrete wall block. 
     
     
         46 . The wall of  claim 29 , wherein at least one veneer is made of polymer. 
     
     
         47 . The wall of  claim 46 , wherein at least one wall block is a dry cast concrete wall block. 
     
     
         48 . The wall of  claim 46 , wherein at least one wall block is a wet cast concrete wall block. 
     
     
         49 . The wall of  claim 29 , wherein at least one wall block has an open space. 
     
     
         50 . The wall of  claim 29 , wherein at least one connector comprises friction fins. 
     
     
         51 . The wall of  claim 29 , wherein at least one block connection space is in the shape of a cylinder, trapezoidal column, hexagonal column, or keyhole-shaped column. 
     
     
         52 . The wall of  claim 29 , wherein at least one veneer connection space is in the shape of a cylinder, trapezoidal column, hexagonal column, or keyhole-shaped column. 
     
     
         53 . The wall of  claim 29 , wherein at least one wall block comprises two or more wall block connection spaces. 
     
     
         54 . The wall of  claim 53 , wherein the at least one wall block comprises just two wall block connection spaces. 
     
     
         55 . The wall of  claim 53 , wherein the wall block comprises just three wall block connection spaces. 
     
     
         56 . The wall of  claim 29 , wherein at least one connector can be slid into at least one block connection space. 
     
     
         57 . The wall of  claim 29 , wherein at least one veneer connection portion can be snapped into at least one block connection space.