Use a hand or power tamper to level the base.
Dry stack stone retaining wall construction.
Typical applications for mortarless concrete masonry include basement walls foundation walls retaining walls exterior above grade walls internal bearing walls and partitions.
The easiest way to build a stone retaining wall is to use the dry stack method that requires no mortar between stones and does not need a concrete footing like mortared walls do.
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.
Excavate to a depth of 6 inches along the entire base of the stone retaining wall using the string marker as a guide.
Here are the basic steps involved in building a dry stack stone wall.
Try to cut the ditch into native soil rather than loose added soil as the former provides a more stable foundation for the wall.
Plan for good drainage proper width height ratio and distance between tiers.
Hands on techniques for building a dry stone wall stripping out.
Take out the main stones and put the top ones furthest from the wall.
To build a natural dry stone retaining wall prepare the site.
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.
For dry stack walls the base should be as wide as the wall is tall.
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.
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.
Sort out the coping stones from the collapsed wall first and place them two to three metres from the wall.
Higher walls should be engineered for stability.
Leave a gap of about 60cm alongside the wall for.
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.
Each layer of a dry stack wall is called a course.
Building a retaining wall is suitable for diyers as long as the wall is a maximum of 3 feet tall in most areas.
For this 18 inch high wall the footing should be at least 18 inches wide.
Dry stack masonry construction can prove to be a cost effective solution for residential and low rise commercial applications because of it s speed and ease of.