Replies

1. 
   Guest_ | May 25, 1999 06:16pm | #1

   *
   you gonna use mortor, or try to lay 'em up "dry"? - yb

1. 
   Guest_ | May 25, 1999 10:40pm | #2

   *Hi JohnNot too much information to comment on.This wall you are intending to build, will it have any structural demands? Will it be used as a retaining wall of any sorts? As young Bob indicated, are you intending on making a masonry wall or a dry crib with wire mesh?There's a thousand different ways to build this wall and only a few would apply to any specific situation, so fill in the gaps and we will make the suggestions.Gabe

1. 
   Guest_ | May 26, 1999 05:51am | #3

   *JohnO:I have built several retaining walls of stone, but I am not sure what type of wall you are talking about.Dry stack stone is the easiest, and does not require a footing, however 4 feet high is pushing it a little for that building technique. I have also built dry stack with footings that consist of ABC gravel (crush & run) with some Portland cement mixed in and then well compacted. Another way to make the wall more stable is to "throw" some mortar in behind (out of view) to improve it's structural integrity. The other thing about dry stack walls is that it helps greatly if the stone is relatively flat.If the stones are round it's gonna mean mortar. It takes a lot of mortar to build with stone since the spaces between the building elements aren't nice 3/8" head and bed joints like with brick & block. For the size wall you describe, plan on buying sand by the ton for the mortar and renting a mixer.One such wall I did was actually a cinder block wall sitting on a footer with an ~6" thick veneer on the front side of it.Look around your area and try to find stone walls/etc that are made of similar type stones. Examine them closely to determine how they are built. The person who told you that your stone was unsuitable, may have actually been saying "it's too much trouble to build with that kind rock".As far as the depth of the footer, generally, footers need to extend below the frost line - glad I don't live in Wisconsin! For normal soil, once below the frost line, it's the footing width, not aditional depth that gives a wall stability.This isn't rocket science, but be prepared for a lot of hard work. I

2. 
   John_o | May 27, 1999 03:41pm | #4

   *
   Thanks for your replies.I'll be using mortar on this wall,but Iwas hoping I wouldn't need to go below the frost line.That's 42 inches here.It sounds like a lot of trouble for a garden wall{one side of the wall will be garden,the other side will be my porch}.Stone walls have been around forever-what did they do before poured concrete?How did they form a footing?Thanks,John

3. 
   John_o | May 27, 1999 06:02pm | #5

   *
   I'd like to build about 20 ft. of stone wall outside my porch,using softball-sized rock off my property.I live in Wisconsin.How deep a footing do I need for this-the wall will be about 4 ft tall.Also,is there a particular kind of rock best for this?I've been told my rock is not suitable.Thanks John O

4. 
   Guest_ | May 27, 1999 06:02pm | #6

   *
   Out here in THE GREAT NORTHWEST we have a lot of glacial till, so the natural rocks are the type you describe. There are many old stone "fences" to be seen (big piles too) that just set on top of the ground. They are all pyramid shaped though. And our climate is very mild, very seldom freezes, so heaving not really an issue. Sure is interesting though how regional climate affects building practices. - yb