Mortar-less rock wall

Last November, I constructed a rock wall for some very nice folks in Homewood. They were initially considering a wall made from one of those segmental retaining wall systems....like Keystone, Geostone, etc. One advantage of using those is that they are, genreally, easy to erect and they need no mortar. The material is not cheap (relative to other materials), though, and the look is, how should I say,,,not very organic. I convinced my clients to give natural stone a try and they have told me they are happy they made the choice.

Constructing a mortar-less stone wall that is over 3 or 4 feet tall requires some careful considerations. For one, the amount of loose backfill to be placed behind the wall plays into the size of the stone chosen. By the way, we decided to use a brown rubble stack stone for this project. Most of the stone I used for this wall was three to six inches thick by ten to eighteen inches long by eight to twelve inches deep (some deeper for extra security). Sidenote: When I call my stone provider, I like to throw them a loop and ask for stone that is the size of something off the wall, such as a brief case or a toaster or a mail box. I usually get an uncomfortable pause (no telling what they're thinking!), so I always give them some actual measurements, too.



The basics of wall building come into play and must be adhered to, also. They include preparation of a foundation, including several inches of gravel base; backfilling with gravel; baffling the stone as the wall is being built. Other things, such as parallel placement of the stone, securing the top of the wall with substantial stone pieces, and creating pleasing lines when designing the wall are important.

Finally, the finished product achieved my clients objectives. It helped to create a level area for their son to play on and it added positively to the overall appearance of their backyard.
ps...You can click on any picture that is included as part of one of my posts to get a larger view.