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Suggestions to Construct a Stone Wall by Vicky Smith
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Suggestions to Construct a Stone Wall |
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Business
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Nothing is more basic than building with rocks, and there are simple stone walls still standing after thousands of years. If you want to divide your lawn from your garden, mark the border of your property, or slow the advance of an invading hoard, building a stone wall by hand is a practical and even beautiful solution. As the wall weathers, settles and ages, it becomes a permanent part of the landscape. Be prepared to deal with rock dust, flying stone chips, heavy lifting and little wounds and bruises you're not sure where they came from. I always wear steel toed boots, gloves, and protective eyeware. Step 1 - Pick and Mark the Location Look at the lay of the land. Is it even enough to support your wall? Of course, a vertical wall can be built across a slope, but it's much harder. Look also for tree roots that may push the structure around. Remember to think well into the future. When you settle on the spot, drive a stake into the ground at one end and a second stake at the other. Tie a string tight and level from stake to stake. Step 2 - Dig the Foundation Up to 3 feet high, the width of the base should equal the height, so for simplicity's sake, we'll build a 3 foot limestone wall. (To repel rather than simply slow a hoard, you'll need something taller, but that's another article.) So, make your trench 3 feet across and 8 inches deep, and as long as the wall will be. If you live in an area where the freeze thaw cycle is a factor, then dig down past the frost line. Step 3 - Sort Your Stones Since you're using natural stone, each one will be different from the others, and some are better suited for some purposes than others. Select the largest and most irregular stones to be your base. A big, heavy foundation will make the wall strong, and you can hide the oddities because much of the base will be underground. The next largest stones should be set aside for your "capstones." They should be as flat on the top and bottom as possible, and large enough to cover the width of the finished wall. Every 6 feet of every course you need a "through stone," which like a capstone needs to cover the width. The rest of the stones are your basic building stone. Of course, the sorted rock piles should be as close to the work area as possible. Step 4 - Lay the Bed Use a crowbar and wheelbarrow to move the base layer stones into the trench. Make sure they're well bedded down and there's no wobble to them. You didn't lay sand or gravel and level the whole trench, because the weight of these peculiar stones will cause them to settle into the earth a bit, but you want to make them as even and level as you can to be a good host to the courses above them.
Related Articles -
stone wall, limestone,
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