Dry Stack Retaining 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.
Dry stack retaining wall. 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. Higher walls should be engineered for stability. 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. This ditch will act as the wall s footing and prevent the rocks from sliding forward due to pressure from the earth behind.
Building a dry stacked stone wall in your garden area is an easy way to incorporate dimension and architecture into the existing landscaping. How to build a dry stack stone wall. Determine the length height and location of the retaining wall. Using your stakes string and line level.
Dig out a trench of at least 6 10 inches. This makes them naturally draining which is important when using a wall to retain soil. This firmly plants the base into the ground below which helps prevent movement. How to build a dry stack retaining wall.
A natural spot for dry stack walls is certainly as part of a garden either as an edge to a garden bed or a retaining wall. Step 1 granite slabs for retaining wall on project site. Rocks can be purchased at local landscape retail centers or can be collected from local creek beds. Dry stack walls are built without mortar the stones are stacked one on top of the other.
Prepare a solid foundation or base. A dry stack stone retaining wall not only holds back the earth it adds beauty to a landscape. There is no need to build a foundation below the frost line because the loose stones can shift slightly to accommodate frost heave. For every every one foot in height you ll want to lay the base a foot in from the wall s face.
Strength of grouted dry stack walls may also be enhanced by traditional reinforcement prestressing post tensioning or with external fiber reinforced surface coatings surface bonding as described in the next section. Take the measurements to a stone supply yard and select the material for the project. Try to cut the ditch into native soil rather than loose added soil as the former provides a more stable foundation for the wall.