Need Advice on Building a Rock Wall Garden

[Eric67ct]

I will heed the advice Trials! Thanks!

 

[carol palmer]

One can DIY it provided have some patience. Few tips, where to find rocks (Natural stone),determine the desured height and length of wall( less than 60cm/2 ft tall). Match the scale of rocks to scale of your house. Done

 

[CADplans]

A thumb will scratch the natural patina off the rocks,,,

The nice finish will come back after a few years,,,

I do not know if it is moss,,, or mold,,, but, it looks nice!! :thumbsup:

 

[lennyzx11]

I will heed the advice Trials! Thanks!

Ahhh... One of the things I enjoy doing.

I use a grapple to move big rocks now. I used a stone boat, wheelbarrow, and pry bar for a long time.

If you have kinda square or rectangle rocks they work dry stacking. Up to 2-3 three feet high is the norm for these.

Coupla tips. (Or more)

The round rocks stack better with some mortar. (It's easy)

Try to have each rock "flat" in the wall's face. Like this. Your nose on your face projects out. if we used your head and the nose sticks out, try to line each and every rock's outermost projection(nose) up inline. It looks better to the eye.
Leaving a few deliberate "shelves" to put plants or knickKnacks on is a good touch though.

Try to run your lines (courses) level to the world. Not follow the slope. The eye sees it as not looking right. Square rocks the same way. Level tops. Try to level each course with a stringline and each rock with a 6-12" level.

Taught to me by an older gentleman. Rocks are lazy and tired. Try to lay them down like they want to rest for sleep. Builds a more sturdy and solid wall. Try not to "stand them up".
If the rock you just placed still wiggles, you aren't done with it. mortar or chip something off till it lays solid.

Triangle rocks suck. But that's probably the most that will be found around your place if like mine. Tempting as it is don't use them to make a face with the widest side. This is a wedge that the dirt behind will push out on. Turn em around pointy end out and use them for filler.

Retaining walls should be set back each course into the hill slightly. I like to use one inch back per foot up. Also google a tieback and use a few rocks for that.

Dry stacks should be built with the larger rocks on top contrary to what you think to weigh the wall down and hold it in place. Smaller rocks can be pushed off the top layers more easily.
And of course, "one rock over two, two over one." Don't let a vertical line develop in your wall.

Scrape the mortar back from around each rock's face about 1/2-3/4" as it sets. This gives the rocks a better look than a flat brick wall.

Post Pictures!

 

[ultrarunner]

I started dry stacking a "Retaining" wall from field stone... it is about 4' high at the deepest part of the ravine... that was in 2003 and so far not a stone has moved... it curves slightly in and tilts slightly in for stability.

I wish it would be about 3' to the right but no way am I going to move all those rocks again... and I was younger then!

 

[CADplans]

My wife tried to plant shrubs along the driveway,, but, that big tree sucked up all the moisture, and nutrients,,,
After 20 years, she finally agreed, the shrubs were not going to grow,,
The rocks seem to be doing much better than the shrubs,,, :thumbsup:

I probably have over 100 tons of rocks on my wooded land,, It is just a matter of going and getting them.
This summer has either been too hot,, or too wet to move any rocks.

 

[Eric67ct]

UPDATE:
Due to the tractor blowing a hydraulic hose and the expense of getting custom hoses made (I replace them as they blow), I have tabled my rock wall until the snow melts. My digging needs to start again since I have a lot of mud run-off that unfortunately eroded back down the straight cuts that I made earlier last year.

I still have to harvest a lot more stone as well and try to find a manual thumb before I start laying stone. Trying to roll (or pick them up) without a thumb will be an incredibly slow process for me.

I have re-read all of the advise I have received from you all. Thanks so much for the expertise out there!

I'll post more once the project has re-started.

-Eric

 

[ArtMech]

I'm not building the rock walls, but laying out some compositions of stones.
This is an example how I'm moving boulders from a pasture without FEL and grapple.

Proto 2 of 3 (in action 5/7): heavy duty 3pt hitch dump bucket designed for mid size tractor - YouTube

 

[RNeumann]

This may be cheaper than a thumb as long as you can cut and weld steel.

Rock Jaw?

Rock Jaw?

As far as leveling, consider using the BH. Take a small level (torpedo level) and use the BH stabilizer legs to level the machine side to side. Then use the BH with the bucket curled and sweep back and forth to level.

 

[deanocraft]

The wife and I just finished this dry stacked wall around the top of our driveway. We used a lot of heavy rocks... An old chimney put together with clay for mortar was the source of many of these stones. You can see some of the black on them.