Building A Retaining Wall With Natural Stone

For this 18 inch high wall the footing should be at least 18 inches wide.
Building a retaining wall with natural stone. Dig a trench that s below the frost line and 2 feet wider than. For dry stack walls the base should be as wide as the wall is tall. You can build a stone wall with natural fieldstone that you have on your property provided the stones are flat enough for stacking. Other materials that could be used for such a project include landscape timbers railroad ties and cinder blocks.
Building retaining walls prevents this soil erosion and helps disguise the unattractive remains from excavation into a hillside. Excavate to a depth of 6 inches along the entire base of the stone retaining wall using the string marker as a guide. Homeowners may build their own retaining walls from natural stone without using mortar and adhesives and with careful attention to detail. How to build a rock wall 1.
Lay high quality stones and use a geotextile backing to ensure the wall lasts a long time. Once built you ll have a rock solid retaining wall without all the heavy mortar lines. Stone retaining wall tips. Prepare the footing photo by russell kaye.
Ask a stone yard to help determine how much material you ll need and have it delivered as close to the site as possible. If you have to buy stone choose a flat stone such as flagstone or a cut stone like ashlar. Flat or cut stones are much easier to work with than fieldstone and will make a sturdier wall. Unlike other types of retaining walls stacked stone walls don t need drainage systems because water escapes naturally through cracks between the stones.
Use a hand or power tamper to level the base. Sedimentary flat stones such as ashlar and flagstone are among the easiest to use when building a wall of this type. To build a natural dry stone retaining wall prepare the site. A retaining wall s effect on the natural flow of water could impact your neighbors so some communities require homeowners to obtain a permit before construction commences.