The rock drywall is an alternative for anyone who does not want to limit their property to the road side with conventional fences made of wood or metal. Especially where it fits into the townscape, here is how to build a rock wall.
The origin of these walls is the layering of the large stones next to the fields, because they disturbed the farmers in the field work. As building material for rock wall the otherwise useless stones are very popular today and have to be paid dearly in some areas.
You get them in the natural stone trade or directly from the farmers. But then you have to take care of the transport yourself, which is not always possible without a small crane. The stones for a wall should not be too different in size and color to match. The wall can be placed more easily if the stones have at least one roughly flattened side.
Drywall in the garden: What you should note
A solid foundation is not required for this wall. It usually also extends a compacted sand bed of about 20 centimeters thick with a width of 80 to 100 cm. That should be the height of the finished wall, which is actually a double wall with a gap. The rock wall is considered a drywall because the stones are piled up without mortar.
The space between the two layers of stone is filled up with the excavated earth, which is usually not enough and must be supplemented by further potting soil. Rolling turf strips can fill the joints between the fieldstone layers. When the rock wal is finished, the lawn needs about half a year to properly fill in and fill the joints. Topsoil and boulders are best provided by the building materials trade.
This is what you need to build a rock wall
Material
- Boulders / boulders 150 to 300 mm (in our example: 5 tons)
- Topsoil (2 cubic meters)
- Gravel 16 to 30mm (1 cubic meter)
- Gravel 0/2 grain size (1 cubic meter)
- Carpet phlox, various colors (Phlox douglasii)
- Goose cress (Arabis procurrens)
- Floribunda
- beeches
Tools : Shovel, spade, rake, hand rammer, rubber hammer, brush, water hose, cord, carpet knife, folding rule, wooden strip 80 cm
1. Foundation to build a rock wall
The natural stone wall stands on a solid foundation – because nothing is more important than its safe standing. The plane surface should be free of roots, then apply gravel and sand layer. Do not dispose of the earth, you can use it again later!
The right location
Choose the location for the natural stone wall. In our case, it runs along the way to the house.
2. Build up the dry stone wall
When the foundation is set, prepare yourself for the construction of the wall: with the mason’s string, you mark the course of the wall and always follow it at the stone story. When the first stone row has been laid, fill up with topsoil and compact. Small stones to tilt in the joints and then stone on stone, becoming increasingly narrower upwards.
Tip : From 60 to 70 cm wall height, you should consult a specialist like a structural engineer!
Set limits
Make boundaries for the construction of the wall. These serve as a guide and indicate the course of the wall.
3. Plant the wall
Only with the right planting the natural stone wall becomes a real eye-catcher. We combine carpet phlox and blood beech – that fits in wonderfully in the front yard.
Gerhardt Richter is a writer and a trainer at trade technical colleges, specializing in carpentry, plumbing, mechanics and construction.
