Retaining Walls

[StoneHeartFarm]

MarkV

I know exactly the stuff you're talking about. The local dealer here has about 30 different styles that you can get. The woodstove shop uses it for building fireplaces. The advantage it has is that the sizes are relatively uniform, so it makes it easy to lay. And you're right, it's very realistic. When I fist started seeing it, about the only way I could tell was to tap it and listen to the sound. Now, I've seen enough that I can sometimes tell by the color. Natural stone usually has a little more color variety, unless you get a REAL expensive job and somebody does a lot of sorting.

When you applied your stone. What process did you use? Did you hang any metal lath (diamond lath) first, or did you just add mortar and push the stone into it?

SHF

 

[StoneHeartFarm]

You're going to have to follow the rule of thumb for earth contact homes. "The best way to keep them from leaking is to keep the water away from them." In other words, the run off has to be channeled away from the walls. If you get your drive crowned so the water will go somewhere else, it will probably save your wall.

In my case, I had considered a bottom or mid level sock tube. But, I don't think I'm going to need it. There's always a small amount of residual heat loss with earth contact. I help a buddy build his earth home aout 7 years ago. His wife planted petunias and strawberrys in the berm. She has the only petunias I have seen around here that "over winter", she never has to replant them, I've even seen them stay green in January. I've added a little bit more insulation in my walls (3x as much), so I don't anticipate that much loss. But I also have about 6' of my wall that I didn't put a footing under just as a test. No problems last winter, the solar gain was enough to keep the inside temps above freezing many days and I didn't get any frost heaving. When I get the balance of the insulation in there and the retaining wall finished, things might change. But, there will also be more heat inside the envelope then, so the residual loss will be greater. Guess I'll find out. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif Good thing I like working with stone. /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif I'm gonna look like that Arnold Schwatsenegger guy by the time I'm done. /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif. Kidding aside, it must be working. Last year I was running around without a shirt and the wife pops up and says "You got Pecks!". I said "Yeah, I had a six pack too, burp, but I drank it." /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif.

SHF

 

[mlmartin]

Isn't it the truth. I've noticed a significant increase in flexibility and upper body strength since I started building (and rebuilding) stone walls.

Matthew

 

[MarkV]

SHF,
I ended up using both methods for putting the stone up. On the poured walls we put up a skim coat of mortar that we scored, let dry, back buttered the stone and stuck. Behind the woodstove we ran 1/2 ply, 15lb roof felt, metal lath and applied with mortar. Leaving a 1/2 gap between stones (depending on stone style) leaves room to grout between the stones. Finishing the joints with a wet brush even made me look like a mason.

MarkV

 

[StoneHeartFarm]

Which do you think gave you the best adhesion? Scratch coat or metal lath? I'll be putting natural stone on a poured wall (inside the house) and I'm tempted to use the metal lath with scratch coat to ensure the scratch coat stays put.

SHF

 

[MarkV]

SHF,
I have not had any problem with either system after the first 2 years, anyway. On a poured wall, I would just use the scratch coat. I would dampen the wall to keep the scratch coat from drying to fast.

MarkV

 

[GlueGuy]

Biggest issue with a poured wall is dealing with the hydraulic action w/o enough drainage. I like the open-faced drainage offered by rock or retaining wall brick. Lots of places to let the water out. Also, consider using a geo-textile to keep drainage pipes from clogging up with silt.

I am starting to think toward a combination wall. Use the engineered retaining wall brick to construct the "wall", and face it with the cultured stone to make it look nice...

Just a thought. Might be a bit expensive to do it that way.

The GlueGuy

 

[StoneHeartFarm]

GlueGuy,

Wouldn't you lose the drainage benefit by adding cultured stone over top? Usually you have to apply a pretty good base of mortar underneath.

SHF

 

[MarkV]

GlueGuy,
I would have to agree with SHF and don't see how the combination of materials would work to well. The cultured stone I used just would not look right without the joints filled with mortar. As you are pointing out, the key to any retaining wall (of any size) is the drainage to avoid hydraulic action. Another option I have seen with poured walls is to wire sections of pvc pipe to the rebar which leaves weep holes when the forms are pulled. Drain tile, silt cloth and gravel backfill has always worked for me, so I have never built in weep holes.

MarkV

 

[GlueGuy]

Actually, I already thought about that. I doubt that "all" the open slots on the retaining wall brick are needed to properly drain. To deal with that, I would either leave gaps between every 3rd or 4th brick, or else embed small tubes every so often to allow water to drain out.

I guess the desire is to try and pretty them up a little bit...

The GlueGuy