DIY Network

Dry-stack Wall: Measuring and Preparation From "Rock Solid" episode DROC-102

A wall in shambles

Johnny "Z" has a problem. He has a retaining wall between a pool deck and a lower yard, but there is no strength or stability to its structure. He has beautiful stone, but it’s all stacked on top of each other. In other words...it’s a mess! Stone masons Derek Stearns and Dean Marsico are going to fix the problem for Johnny. They’re going to start from scratch and give him a 40 foot long wall that is a foot and a half in height. Derek and Dean will also be adding a few granite steps to the wall.

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	The space between the pool deck and lower yard was a mess...
	but, Derek and Dean got to work...
	and created a beautiful, fieldstone dry-stack wall...
	that added tons of character to this home.

Tools:

Tape measure
Stone hammer
String
Six foot level
Spade shovel
Wheelbarrow
Hoe with holes
Iron rake
Bullet level
Jointer
Hand tamper
Chipping hammer
Wire cutters
Safety glasses

Materials:

3 used granite steps (approximately 3 ft. long x 6 in. thick x 12 in. wide)
1 pallet, thin fieldstone
1 pallet, medium fieldstone
3/4 in. crushed stone (for footing and back fill)
3/8 in. crushed blue stone (for top of wall)
1 to 2 80 lb. bag of premix concrete per step
2 pieces of rebar cut to 3 ft. lengths

Measuring and Preparation

Tip: Measurements will change with every project, so Dean and Derek recommend bringing your measurements to the quarry and having them determine how much material you’ll need to complete the project. For crushed stone, determine the depth of your footing as well as the length and width and they will calculate the amount of stone you need.

1. Measure the length and height of your project and bring these measurements to your local quarry. The project that Dean and Derek will complete is 40 feet long and 18 inches high.

2. Establish the face of your wall by hammering a piece of rebar into the ground on either end of the project where you want the face of the wall to be (figure A). Tie a piece of nylon string tightly between the two pieces of rebar (figure B). This string should be level, so level it with a bullet level or attach a line level to the string.

Figure A

Figure B

3. Determine the number of steps needed in your wall. An average step is approximately six inches in height. Dean and Derek used a six foot level to determine the top point of their wall and then measured down using a tape measure (figure C). The wall had a height of 18 inches. 18 inches/6 inches per step = 3 steps in their wall. This will determine how many pieces of used granite that you’ll need for your project.

4. Pick out your materials (figure D) and have the materials delivered to your project.

Figure C

Figure D

5. Unload granite by flipping or walking the granite into place. Never attempt to dead lift the stone, as it is very heavy. Walking granite is placing the granite end up and shifting it corner by corner until it is in place (figure E). To flip the granite, place a small stone where you are going to put your fingers, and flip the stone until it has reached its final position (figure F).

Figure E

Figure F

RESOURCES :

Plymouth Quarries, Inc.
Website: www.plymouthquarries.com