Dry stack fieldstone retaining walls are a great choice for your home or business. Fieldstone is durable and long-lasting, meaning it will stand the test of time. It’s also aesthetically pleasing, with its natural texture and color adding to the appeal of your property. Dry stack fieldstone has been used for centuries to create beautiful retaining walls. With our dry stack fieldstone retaining wall kits, you can build your own wall in just a few hours.
The Dry Stack Fieldstone Retaining Wall is a great way to add a rustic feel to your landscape. It is made of natural stones that have been carefully selected for their beauty and durability, then hand-set in place to create a high-quality, long-lasting retaining wall. The Dry Stack Fieldstone Retaining Wall is perfect for adding a bit of character to your yard or garden.
The Dry Stack Fieldstone Retaining Wall is a great option for landscaping. This wall can be used as a retaining wall, a border, or a privacy screen. The Dry Stack Fieldstone Retaining Wall is made of fieldstone, which means it’s more durable than other types of stone. The Dry Stack Fieldstone Retaining Wall is available in three different heights: 4′, 6′, and 8′.
The Dry Stack Fieldstone Retaining Wall isn’t just beautiful it’s also easy to install. Just lay out the stones where you want them and then fill in the gaps with mortar. You’ll be done in no time.
Dry stack or dry-stacked, fieldstone retaining walls are one of the oldest forms of building materials. They’ve been used for over 5500 years and have stood the test of time as some of the most beautiful, durable stone structures on Earth. Dry stack retaining walls are made by laying large stones horizontally on top of smaller ones to create a solid structure that doesn’t need mortar in order to remain standing. This means they’re easier to build than traditional mortared retaining walls and can be placed anywhere there’s existing soil
What is Dry Stack Fieldstone Retaining Wall
Dry stack stone walls are a popular choice for garden walls and retaining walls. Dry stack stone walls are built without mortar, which means you can build them yourself with the following steps:
- Select your stone pieces as well as the base material for the wall (this may be concrete or mortar).
- Lay out your stones to determine the height of your wall and its dimensions.
- Arrange and place each piece of stone on top of each other in an alternating pattern so that they settle into each other, creating a flat surface.
Uses of Dry Stack Fieldstone Retaining Wall
Dry stack stone walls are used in the following ways:
- Garden design dry stack stone walls can be used to create boundaries for garden beds or as a backdrop for plants. Fieldstones are also commonly used to create garden paths, walkways, and steps.
- Landscape design dry stack fieldstone retaining walls provide privacy between properties and can be installed in long rows along property lines to act as barriers against unwanted eyes. In addition, they can be used as an attractive vertical feature in front yards or along driveways or pathways.
Reasons for Dry Stack Fieldstone Retaining Wall
- You don’t need to dig deep trenches.
- Dry stack stone walls are easier to build than traditional retaining walls.
- They’re also much sturdier, which means they last longer and require less maintenance over time.
- And if you’re looking for a more natural approach, dry stack stone walls are better for the environment than concrete or block walls because they use fewer materials and there’s less waste in the process of laying them out on site.
Steps involved in Dry Stack Fieldstone Retaining Wall
- Choose a location for your stone wall.
- Lay out the wall, starting with a capstone at one end and smaller stones on top of it to hold them in place.
- Start stacking stones on top of each other, staggering them every other row to create an offset pattern. If you’re using fieldstones instead of bricks or concrete blocks, you may need to add additional courses (rows) as you go along so that each course is level with the one below it.
- Add an additional capstone at the end that matches the rest of your walls, if desired.
- Fill in any gaps or holes with smaller pieces until there are no obvious spaces left in between courses these can be difficult to fill without being obvious from far away. You may want someone else around who can help keep track of where all those little pieces go when they get mixed up during installation.
Step 1
- Planning the Wall
The first step to building your stone wall is to plan out the layout. You will need to decide how tall and wide you want it, how many stones you want in each section of your wall, and where those sections should be placed relative to one another (i.e., which side of a walkway or driveway). Make sure that you leave enough room between stones so that they don’t touch each other when set into place, but also make sure not to leave too much space between them they should be close enough so that they stay straight without needing any additional support beyond gravity holding them in place.
Step 2
The next step is to set your stones in a pattern. You should do this before you stick them together so that you can make sure there are no gaps between them and they’re all level as well. To check if they’re level, use a level tool like the one below:
To keep the wall straight and square, use string lines (also called mason’s lines) to mark where each stone goes. This way you don’t have to guess if your next stone will fit in the right place.
Step 3
- Place stones in a staggered pattern to minimize gaps and prevent the wall from looking too flat. If you’re using fieldstone, stagger them so that one edge of each stone is exposed rather than all four. This will create more of an irregular look as well as help prevent sharp edges from rubbing against each other when they’re stacked together which will reduce the likelihood of them breaking or chipping over time.
To ensure that your wall is level, use your level (or laser level) to make sure that every stone is perfectly parallel with the ground below it before stacking it on top of it with another layer of stone; if necessary, adjust where you place each new row so that they are flat on top of one another.* To prevent gaps between individual stones along the length of your retaining wall and keep everything straight at 90-degree angles for as long as possible without having any visible seams interrupting its natural look, set up stakes at regular intervals along both sides and ends where you’re building
Step 4
- Place a large stone on the wall and make sure it is level. If not, remove it and try again.
- When you are happy with the placement of the first stone, mark its location by inserting a nail or other pointy object into the exterior surface of your stacked stones (it’s important to do this before adding more stones).
Step 5
- Step 5: Stack stones at least 2 feet apart. This helps prevent the wall from collapsing and will allow any excess water to drain through the gaps rather than collecting on top of the wall.
- Stack stones that are the same height as your retaining wall. The general rule is one stone per foot of height; so if your retaining wall is 3 feet tall, you should use 3 stones in each row (or layer).
- Also, make sure that your fieldstone fits snugly in place without gaps or spaces between them; this will help prevent erosion caused by rainwater draining down into those spaces or being trapped there by gravity.
While keeping all of these things in mind can seem difficult at first glance, after all, we’re talking about thousands upon thousands of rocks here once you’ve got an idea for how big everything should be laid out side-by-side on paper first with pencil marks drawn out on graph paper (or something similar), using grid lines every so often along with other symbols such as arrows pointing toward one another
Step 6
Step 6. Use a level to check that the stone is straight and make sure it’s not too close to another side of the wall. If it is, you can use a hammer and chisel to remove any excess mortar. Once dry, wash the wall with water to remove any leftover mortar from your stones.
Materials needed for Dry Stack Fieldstone Retaining Wall
You’ll need the following materials to build your dry stack fieldstone retaining wall:
- Fieldstones (of varying sizes)
- Mortar mix
- Mixing tub and shovel or trowel.
Tools needed for Dry Stack Fieldstone Retaining Wall
- Hammer
- Tape measure
- Chisel
- Carpenter’s square
- Trowel (available at hardware, home improvement, and gardening stores)
- Shovel (available at hardware, home improvement, and gardening stores)
Cost of Dry Stack Fieldstone Retaining Wall
The cost of a dry stack fieldstone retaining wall will vary depending on several factors, including the size and height of your retaining wall. However, if you have all of the materials necessary for construction on hand or can purchase them inexpensively from a local home improvement store or landscaping company, then labor costs may not be as significant as you expect.
If you choose to hire an experienced mason to construct your dry stack fieldstone retaining wall, however, expected labor costs should be factored into your budget. According to HomeAdvisor’s Cost Guide (as of October 2018), the average cost per square foot for this type of work is approximately $11-$13. This amount would include excavation work (removal) and foundation preparation in addition to installation costs.
Benefits of Dry Stack Fieldstone Retaining Wall
The benefits of dry stack fieldstone retaining walls are:
- Durable. These walls are built to last. Because they’re made of stone and mortar, they won’t erode or break down over time like other, more fragile materials like wood or concrete.
- Low Maintenance. If you want something that will look beautiful and never need maintenance, a dry stack fieldstone retaining wall is the right choice for you. You won’t have to worry about cracks appearing in your wall due to weather conditions because these walls can withstand everything nature throws at them (and then some).
- Versatile Materials Options. With such a large variety of stones available for use in these structures, each one can be uniquely designed based on your preferences and taste so every piece has its own special beauty. And if there isn’t quite enough material available from your yard? No problem we’ll work with you until we find just what it takes to build the perfect retaining wall for inside those flower beds or around those trees outside the house.
Maintenance tips for Dry Stack Fieldstone Retaining Wall
- Keep weeds at bay
- Don’t let water sit on the wall
- Don’t walk on the wall
- Don’t plant near the wall.
Dry stack stone walls don’t need mortar to keep them standing.
Dry stack stone walls are a great option for homeowners who want to build a beautiful and long-lasting stone retaining wall without having to mortar their stones. Instead, they’re stacked on top of each other.
These types of walls can be built with minimal tools and take very little time, even if you’re working alone. They’re also inexpensive compared to mortar stone walls, which require much more effort and materials upfront.
In Conclusion
Fieldstone retaining walls are a great choice for anyone looking to add a rustic, natural look to their landscape. These dry stack stone walls are easy to build and maintain and require minimal maintenance over time.
