Building A Retaining Wall With Natural Stone

Tame a slope with a terrace of loose stone retaining walls.

Building a retaining wall with natural stone.

For dry stack walls the base should be as wide as the wall is tall. Homeowners may build their own retaining walls from natural stone without using mortar and adhesives and with careful attention to detail. If you have to buy stone choose a flat stone such as flagstone or a cut stone like ashlar. Plan for good drainage proper width height ratio and distance between tiers.

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. Use a hand or power tamper to level the base. Stone retaining wall tips. Excavate to a depth of 6 inches along the entire base of the stone retaining wall using the string marker as a guide.

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. Other materials that could be used for such a project include landscape timbers railroad ties and cinder blocks. How to build a rock wall 1. For this 18 inch high wall the footing should be at least 18 inches wide.

Flat or cut stones are much easier to work with than fieldstone and will make a sturdier wall. Prepare the footing photo by russell kaye. Unlike other types of retaining walls stacked stone walls don t need drainage systems because water escapes naturally through cracks between the stones. Building retaining walls prevents this soil erosion and helps disguise the unattractive remains from excavation into a hillside.

Ask a stone yard to help determine how much material you ll need and have it delivered as close to the site as possible. Once built you ll have a rock solid retaining wall without all the heavy mortar lines. Dig a trench that s below the frost line and 2 feet wider than. To build a natural dry stone retaining wall prepare the site.