Building A Retaining Wall With Natural Stone

Plan for good drainage proper width height ratio and distance between tiers.

Building a retaining wall with natural stone.

Flat or cut stones are much easier to work with than fieldstone and will make a sturdier wall. For this 18 inch high wall the footing should be at least 18 inches wide. Use a hand or power tamper to level the base. For dry stack walls the base should be as wide as the wall is tall.

Dig a trench that s below the frost line and 2 feet wider than. This tutorial is designed for beginners interested in building stone retaining walls using a dry stack method but it also works for retaining block and flagstone walls. Excavate to a depth of 6 inches along the entire base of the stone retaining wall using the string marker as a guide. You can build a stone wall with natural fieldstone that you have on your property provided the stones are flat enough for stacking.

Prepare the footing photo by russell kaye. Homeowners may build their own retaining walls from natural stone without using mortar and adhesives and with careful attention to detail. Building retaining walls prevents this soil erosion and helps disguise the unattractive remains from excavation into a hillside. Once built you ll have a rock solid retaining wall without all the heavy mortar lines.

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. Lay high quality stones and use a geotextile backing to ensure the wall lasts a long time. If you have to buy stone choose a flat stone such as flagstone or a cut stone like ashlar. Tame a slope with a terrace of loose stone retaining walls.

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. How to build a rock wall 1. Unlike other types of retaining walls stacked stone walls don t need drainage systems because water escapes naturally through cracks between the stones.