Instructions for building a dry stone wall
Dry stone walls are not only visually but also ecologically enrich the garden. And you can bouild it all be yourself. If you have free online merchant account you can buy all materials you need. Learn step by step what you must consider building a dry stone wall at.
Dry stone walls are used as retaining walls and terraces on slopes, as edging for raised beds or stand built for the subdivision or boundary of the garden. The term “dry wall” reveals quite a bit about the design: The stones are “dry” to each other, because the joints are not filled with mortar. This has the advantage that the joints can be planted and that found in the small niches many beneficial insects such as wild bees and bumblebees shelter. Even lizards and slow worms choose the warm, dry cracks in the walls like a place to stay.
So go build a dry stone wall in front of the:
Excavate for the foundation of an approximately 40 cm deep trench. Compacting the ground and fill the trench 30 cm with a gravel or mineral mixture (grain size 0 / 32 mm). Compacting the foundation carefully and apply a 5 to 10 cm thick layer of building sand. Rake the surface smooth and inclined them to hang down slightly. Now you can lay the first row of blocks. Looking out to the largest specimens, as they play at the wall a “supporting” role. Submerge the stones a few inches deep in the foundation and hold about 40 cm away from the hillside to knock out space for the backfill. Our advice: A curved wall running, you can easily build by eye. But if you want a wall that is straight, you should be parallel to the slope stretch a string where you can orient themselves.
Materials
Up to one meter high stone walls can be created any problems. If they are larger or run directly on the road, you should consult a professional. The material used for the dry wall are almost all types of stone: reading stones collected or already worked stones from the building trade. Popular are dry stone walls of sandstone or landscape typical natural stones such as limestone or greywacke. Is there an environment with a quarry, you can usually get from there stones at a cheaper price. Moreover, then the usually quite high transport costs remain in the frame. Energy and time you save if you own the bricks directly on the construction site unload and sort first by size. Organize themselves to best a couple of strong helpers. Together they can lift heavy stones much easier.
When planning and preparatory work are made, you can start with the construction of the dry wall. What type of wall construction, or what you choose will depend firstly on what you trust yourself. If you have no experience should create a simple layer of masonry. On the other plays the material that is available to a role. Whether natural stones, cut or broken – general rule: dry stone work through its natural appearance. The stones must not be set exactly to the inch. Just make sure that the cross joints extend approximately horizontally.
If you have a very moist soil or the wall will be very high, you can install a drainage pipe (DN 100 = 10 cm diameter). Lay the pipe with a little slope behind the lower stone layer, so that the water is discharged to one side. Fill the gaps with loamy sand before you start the second row of blocks. In larger wall joints you can fit so-called “spandrels” (= small rubble). Planting in the gaps during the same wall and, before you put the next row of blocks. The plants are set later, the roots can be damaged easily. Layers, then put the stones on, without giving rise to cross-joint. Use the hard knock a big hammer with rubber attachment, thus shaking the stones no more and the compacted sand in the joints.
Pay attention to a slight slope (10-15%) to the slope so that the wall can not tilt forward. Fill slightly behind every rock layer, the space between wall and slope with sand or gravel and they compress it. This gives the wall a solid backbone. Put in each row about every fifth to tenth stone across the wall direction, so that it protrudes a little deeper into the slope. These anchor blocks shall ensure that the wall will be meshed with the slope. The most beautiful stones you should reserve for top of the wall, because they are visible from the front and from above. A perfect end to make something flatter, smooth stones, which are possibly also good as a seat. The filling is covered with 15 to 20 cm of topsoil, and so planted that cushion shrubs can grow beyond the crest.
Step by step drywall
Lift the first trench for the foundation of: width = 1 / 3 of the proposed wall height, depth = 40 cm. Fill the trench with gravel, and compacted it. The first wall layer should consist of the largest stones. Behind this move you may order the drainage pipe. The other stone rows are the same back-filled with gravel. Build now and then a longer one stone, to dovetail the wall with the slope well. Fill at the end of the dam to plant with 15-20 cm of topsoil.
Various joint courses
Displaced joints can the earth pressure that arises, for example, behind a retaining wall, catch well: When building your dry wall on the right course of the joints. By contrast, cross joints create weaknesses. They hold large loads as not good!
Regularly
In the regular layer masonry all pieces of one row are equal. As a material suitable machined blocks of sandstone or granite.
In exchange
A very interesting joint pattern, the irregular layer of masonry. With a different level, square and rectangular stones is variety to the game.
Different stone sizes
Rubble stone masonry consisting of unprocessed natural stones of all sizes. They are set so that as more consistent cross-joints are available.
Rustic
The rustic cyclopean consists of round stones, which are lined with the flat side forward. The joints can be planted well.
