| Laying the Stones |
| Laying the Stones |
From "Hardscapes"
episode DHSC-103 |
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With the trench dug for the wall's base, it's time to begin laying the stones that will form the actual wall....
- Place the stones so that they touch side by side (figure A); they should be fairly snug as they're laid down. Level each stone as it's put in.
- Use a torpedo level to check the side-to-side level of the stones as well as the front to back level (figure B). Use the gravel to help level the stones.
Finish the first course of stones. It may be necessary to cut some of the stones as the wall comes together: that's where the wet saw comes into play.The wet saw is the perfect tool to rent when building a retaining wall. With its diamond blade, it cuts the stones pretty easily. Simply mark your stone at the desired size and cut. But if you're only going to be cutting a few stones, that can be done with a hammer and mason's chisel as well (figure C). Now that the first row of stones is in, we have to get ready to install the drainage in the wall. The first step is to add gravel to the back of the first run of stones (figure D).
Put the gravel into the trench and tamp it down lightly. The gravel acts as an aid in drainageThe PVC drainpipe is laid on top of the gravel with the drain holes (figure E) facing down to evenly distribute the draining water. It runs the length of the wall and out into the yard. The ends will be coupled with PVC pipe outlets for the drainage. This serves the purpose of moving water away from the wall minimizing any damage that it might cause.Once the drainpipe is in place, cover it with more gravel. Then lay down a layer of GEO textile fabric (figure F) to line the back of the wall and trench. This fabric serves as an erosion barrier as well as keeping fine particles from seeping through the stones of the wall.
The fabric should line the back of the wall as you build up. The best way to do this is to fold the fabric onto the dirt as the next course of stones is added.
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