| Curve Line, Trench |
| Curve Line, Trench |
From "Hardscapes"
episode DHSC-103 |
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In this opening segment, the first phase of building a wall plays out -- from determining the wall's curve to digging the trench....
- To lay out the curve of the wall and to define the area that needs to be dug out for the trench, or foundation, we're going to use a household extension cord as our marker (figure A). Some other things that work just fine are a garden hose or even a length of rope. If the wall were to be straight, we could have used string and stakes, but the hose works great for laying out a curved wall.
- After laying out the marker extension cord, it's time to dig out the trench. Skim off any grass, and set the dirt of the trench aside for later use. If your wall is going to be long, a backhoe or tiller rental can be a back saving investment, but since this wall isn't going to be all that long, the long-handled shovels and some good old-fashioned sweat get the job done (figure B).
A good rule of thumb when digging the trench is to dig it about 6" deep and fill it with about 3"-4" of fill gravel. Then tamp it down to about 2".To determine the width of the trench, add 6" to the width of the stones you're using (figure C). This enables you to place your stones with 2" left up front and 4" left behind.The trench is the solid foundation on which to build a wall, so make sure that the fill gravel is put into the trench and really tamped down until it is compacted and level (figure D).
Note: This job cannot be completed without a hand tamper.
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