How to Build a Stone Retaining Wall

There are a lot of different kinds of retaining wall and one of them is Stone Retaining Wall. Stone retaining wall are the same with all the different retaining wall but instead of another solid it comes from Stones. If you want to build a stone retaining wall then this is an article for you but before we step into the tutorial let us explain to you what is a retaining wall.

Retaining Wall

A retaining wall is a formed designed and built to withstand the indirect pressure of soil, when there is a want to change in earth altitude that exceeds the angle of repose of the soil. A retaining wall is very useful in terms of holding water or earth.

How to build a stone retaining wall

• Plan

Planning always comes first, it does not just help you organize your building but it can also help you know the steps and what you must do in the project you are working on such as a stone retaining wall.

• Plot

Plot out where the retaining wall will be located. The advantage of a straight terrace is that you can attach a line level to the string to make sure the courses of your structure are level.

• Dig

In building a retaining wall, digging or excavating is a must, not only does it make your retaining wall deeper but it also helps it not to get damage too much.

• Compact Loose Soil

In digging there is a lot of uncompact soil, in order to make it compact again use a skimming motion to remove the remaining soil.

• Level Footing

You can level the top gravel and spread the surface evenly for smoothness.

• Stone

When positioning the stones, we should take in mind that the larger and wider stones come first, we should have two flat side in each stone as much as possible. As you add another layer, you should do the largest to the smallest method, it can help a lot in terms of maintaining you retaining wall

Pros and Cons

Pros

• Look – Stone simply looks beautiful, and fits perfectly into any kind of traditional rustic setting.
• Flexibility – Natural stone can fit almost any situation that comes to your mind. Also, you don’t need any special connection or mortar to keep the construction together.
• Tradition – Natural stone is one of the oldest and the most reliable materials used for grade transitions.
• Durability – Much like any other stone construction, if made well, a natural stone can last you for ages.

Cons

• Price – Stone was always considered to be one of the more pristine, but also the most expensive building materials.
• Drainage – When it comes to natural stone, drainage can become a serious problem after just a couple of years.
• Heaviness – Setting up a stone wall is a very labor-intensive process.
• Building blocks diversity – Fitting too many different pieces together may prove to be a joy for some, but a chore for others.