Walls, Retaining and Decorative

I love to drive down the road and see a few decorative or retaining walls. A special touch is adding vines with flowers flowing over the edge. In the area of the country where I live, some people build retaining structures to hold the soil from eroding. This is a great landscape solution. There are also decorative walls in many varieties of gardens.

Two ways to approach building this type of project are with mortar, or stackable stones without cement. If you are looking at doing a stone or brick wall, check out the resources at stone masonry. I will walk through basic steps of a stackable retaining and decorative wall without using cement. Companies offer a variety of products to choose from today. You do have the choice of hiring out to a contractor or doing it yourself.

If you live in an area with poor drainage and need something to block the flow of water, consider doing a stackable retaining structure. Landscaping with Solid or Corrugated Pipes. This article discusses how to use piping to solve water problems. Below are a few basic steps in planning the process.

Identify the area where you want to create the hard-scape. Is it a problem area or are you looking to create an attractive structure?

What type of materials do you want to use? Brick, round or flat stones, boulders, etc... Granite is more for a taller wall and is a heavier stone. You can get a specific wall stone in round, flat, or thin. (this is called a fieldstone) You can also use a concrete block wall to create a larger look.

What height and width are you looking for?

Do you want to do mortar or stacking?

Do you want to match the color tones to your house or any other existing hard-scape?

A decorative dry wall usually averages one to five feet. If you need to make the wall higher, I would recommend using mortar. The cement will create stability for your wall. Your length can vary as much as you like. This project should be thought through methodically and don't hurry to get it done. It is relatively easy, once you gain confidence in putting your first layer of rocks or stone in. Below are simple guidelines to follow...

Measure out the area you want to build the structure. Put stakes in at all four ends and tie string to the stakes. Make sure the string is taunt, so you will have an accurate measurement.

Decide on how much stone or rocks you will need. Stone or rocks usually are delivered in a wooden pallet and come in a ton per pallet. You can sketch your structure on a piece of paper, and pencil in your measurements. Figure out how much material you will need by multiplying the length times the width, times the depth = the cubic feet. Many stone manufacturers or stone companies will help you with the measurements.

You will begin by digging a trench. This is called a foundation. In most cases, use a tiller if possible. Below is a picture of a trench about 6 to 8 inches deep and around 20 feet long. The trench should be anywhere from 1 to 3 inches wider of where your structure will stand.

Fill the trench with small stones or crushed screenings. From the very beginning, always have a level handy, and measure each and every step of the way. You can tamper down the stones. Tampers can be rented at most rental places.

Begin putting your first layer of rocks or stone all the way down the length of the structure. Be sure you measure as accurately as you can. If you are using irregular stone, put larger pieces at the base of the trench. Continue layering, being careful to fit each piece as snug as you can to one another. After the structure is built, there will be some settling of the ground. Your last layer of irregular stone should be large ones to give a finished look.(called capping)

Don't try and put the rocks or stone in a straight line, as they will not match up properly. You will want to position them so they fit nicely with each other. Make your structure stronger by positioning the material horizontally across the structure every once in awhile. This technique will stabilize the entire feature as you are building it.

As you are building, look for places in each layer where you may have to re-structure or shimmy. To shimmy, take smaller pieces of stones and slide in between the larger pieces. This procedure is usually done with irregular shape flag stone or different size round stones.

You do have the option to put some cement in the trench along the back side of structure. Some people like to do this for more security of their wall. Regardless, you will want to fill in the rest of the trench with dirt.

What if you are on a slope, or incline? You will want to gradually change the levels of the ground to stabilize each layer of stone. This step is done when you are digging your trench. Pay close attention when you are tilling, as you will need to adjust the layers to the downward flow of your land. Once the ground is tilled and raked, use your level to work each layer as you proceed down your wall. Remember, this is a stackable dry retaining or decorative feature. If you go higher then five feet, you will most likely want masonry work done. You can have a decorative dry rock or stone structure and also run solid or corrugated piping along side of the feature, for drainage purposes. In the gallery of plant section their are photos of plants you could use on walls.

Above are simple steps you can take to build your very own decorative outdoor feature. It is important to research the different materials and manufacturers. Once you have your wall built, decide if you want to add any plants around the structure. Many people love putting their favorite flowers around. I like to see a combination of colorful shrubs and flowers surrounding it. The feature is the focal point and the plants are an accent. When finished, you will have a masterpiece you can show off to your friends and neighbors. More importantly, you can enjoy this decorative feature for years to come.

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