Building a dry stacked stone wall in your garden area is an easy way to incorporate dimension and architecture into the existing landscaping.
Dry stack flagstone retaining wall.
Your house or garden may sit on a rolling hillside.
Learn to build a simple dry stack retaining wall for the garden using natural field stone.
Draw the wall to scale and measure the length and height.
Take the measurements to a stone supply yard and select the material for the project.
To build a natural dry stone retaining wall prepare the site.
If one chooses to complete a dry stack stone wall as a diy project the costs of the project will come exclusively from tools and materials.
Although dry stack stone walls do not require mortar or a highly specialized skill set a homeowner does need a few basic supplies including a heavy hammer a pick and a shovel a 3 foot level selected stone and backfill materials.
A dry stack stone retaining wall not only holds back the earth it adds beauty to a landscape.
The ideal height for a dry stacked retaining wall is 18 to 22 inches so you can sit on it when your gardening chores are done.
Great for making inexpensive raised beds out of rocks.
Try to cut the ditch into native soil rather than loose added soil as the former provides a more stable foundation for the wall.
This ditch will act as the wall s footing and prevent the rocks from sliding forward due to pressure from the earth behind.
Lay high quality stones and use a geotextile backing to ensure the wall lasts a long time.
How to build a dry stack stone wall.
Higher walls should be engineered for stability.
When putting your wall together mix the stone sizes throughout the wall rather than using only large stones at the bottom and small toward the top.
Each layer of a dry stack wall is called a course.
Even if you don t plan to sit on your wall 3 feet is about as high as i would recommend building any dry stacked wall.
Dig a ditch the length of the wall that is about a foot wide and 8 to 12 inches 20 5 cm 30 5 cm below the ground level.
Here are the basic steps involved in building a dry stack stone wall.
While the view is lovely to provide a flat garden or lawn area you may need a retaining wall.
Plan for good drainage proper width height ratio and distance between tiers.
Rocks can be purchased at local landscape retail centers or can be collected from local creek beds.