The soft curves and delicious texture of a stone wall evokes an atmosphere of elegance and romance that few man-made structures can match. Although most stone walls long are mainly composed of large, flat stones that are stacked neatly, you can build a small rustic wall with round and rather small stones, that will last for years as long as you adhere the parts with some mortar. Save money when buying commercial mortar by preparing your own mixture obtained by combining three parts sand to one part cement masonry explains Plymouth Quarries, a company mining rock that has been in business since 1811.
You will need
- Round stones
- Rods corrugated metal building
- Hammer
- String or heavy thread
- Cement
- Wooden board 2 x 4 inch (5 x 10 cm)
- Mortar (sand and cement)
- Water
- Truck
- Pieces of scrap wood
- Wire bristle brush
Instructions
- Determines the height, width and length of the wall. Try to limit the height to within 3 feet (90 cm) in order to maintain stability and avoid attaching too much weight to the mortar mix you’ll use. As a general rule, plans to build a wall means having a width equal to half the height, e.g.: if you want your wall is 18 inches (45 cm) high, then there must be at least 9 inches (23 cm) wide.
- Gather enough stones for your project. Choose those that are at least two times larger than your hands intertwined and lean by having more or less rounded ends. Avoid those that are perfectly round and that can compromise the strength of the wall. If you go to collect stone on your property or in the bed of a nearby stream, looking for a few elongated pieces with rounded tips. You will serve a lot in stabilizing a small wall.
- Thrust several corrugated metal rods into the ground with a hammer to mark the dimensions-are the points where the corners and ends, what will be your stone wall. Tie a string or a thick rod thread and extend it, making sure it is taut-up to each of the other rods that surround the perimeter of your wall.
- Dig the trench for the foundation or your shoe wall along the entire perimeter delimited by the string. The trench should be at least 12 inches (30 cm) wider than the base of the wall, for example if the wall is 18 inches (46 cm) wide, then the trench to the shoe must be 24 inches (61 cm) wide. Extend the trench depth considering the soil frost line in order to minimize cracking during the annual freeze. If you’re not sure how far is the frost line in your area, contact your local Cooperative Extension office.
- Fill the trench with a concrete mixture. Level the concrete to about 1 inch (2.5 centimeters) below the soil line using a wooden 2 x 4 inch (5 x 10 cm). Let the concrete cure mixture for at least two or three days.
- Now mix the mortar with a little water in a wheelbarrow. Add enough water so that the mortar purchase a clay-like consistency. Apply a layer of 1 inch (2.5 centimeters) of mortar mix on the footing concrete cured. Select the larger stones and rounded to create a base layer to provide strength to the rest of the wall. Go arranging the stones as close together as possible about the mortar. Press them firmly against the mixture to adhere.
- Build the rest of your wall by a layer of stone at a time. Spread mortar on small sections and place stones staggering the joints between the layers to further strengthen the structure. Place the stones at a slight angle in the center of the wall for stability.
- Removes excess mortar joints between stone on the face using a piece of scrap wood. Removes stains and clumps of dry mortar of the main face of the stones with a bristle brush wire.
Tips and Warnings
- Make an appointment with the office of your local council so that you are aware of the permissions that you need before you begin building your wall.
- Do not try to load large stones do not run the risk of injuring yourself back.