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Tiered Garden Walls Dean and Derek create a stone garden feature in the style of traditional country farm walls. Check out more Rock Solid home improvement projects. From "Rock Solid" episode DROC-406

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Mixing Mortar for Building the Wall

Before setting any stone, your first step is to mix the mortar. Dean and Derek recommend Type S mortar — a mixture of mortar and cement which will provide a stronger bond.

• There are two different ways to mix mortar — by hand or by machine. For a large job, Dean and Derek recommend renting a mortar mixer. A "one bagger" will hold one bag of mortar, plus sand and water.

• First, add the water. Generally speaking, one bag of Type S mortar will need one 5-gallon bucketful of water. However, the amount of water necessary can vary, depending on the wetness of the sand, so first put in about 3/4 of your 5-gallon bucket of water.

• Next, add in the sand and mortar. One bag of Type S mortar will need about 16 shovels-full of mason sand. With the mixer going, you can add the rest of the water as needed.

• For a smaller job, you can mix the mortar by hand. In a wheelbarrow, dry mix Type S mortar with mason sand, then slowly pour in the water. Use the same rations of sand and water, (about 16 shovels-full of sand, and about 5 gallons or water).

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	Figure D
	Figure E

Building the Wall

Before actually building the wall, you'll want to make sure it is level and straight. First, set up steel bars or wood stakes for posts at each end of the wall, and run a string line between them. Remember that it is important for your string to be square against any adjacent walls or structures (figure D).

Now you're ready to start laying down stone. If you're building next to a wall, then the best place to start is against that wall. If you're not against a wall, then it's best to start in the middle (figure E).

Constructing "Beehives" or Weep Holes

Whenever you're building a retaining wall, you need to be sure to "tell the water where to go." If not, the water can build up and damage your wall.

Take broken stone and pile it up to create a "beehive" near the base of the wall every five feet or so. Build each beehive at the rear of the wall, so that a stone can be set in front of it. Use just enough mortar to contain the broken stones. Set a stone in front of the "beehive," and as you're setting it, be sure to leave a joint dry. Rainwater will be attracted to and flow through the stone beehive, and exit the dry joint in front.

Build up additional layers of stone, always keeping an eye on the colors and sizes of stone. You'll want a good amount of variety and contrast for a rustic look.

	Figure F
	Figure G

Capping the Wall

The next step is to cap your wall. Even if you're building a rustic farm wall, you still want a nice cap.

• For capping, you'll need stones that have a smooth and flat top. With a stone like Connecticut green, you can create capstones by tapping a thick stone with a carbide chisel along the stone's veins, to split the stone into flat pieces (figure F).

• To ensure that your cap stones are all at a level height, run a taut string between the two crowbars at capstone level. Run a line level across it to make sure the capstones are level.

• Some stones may have a nice smooth top, but will sit at an angle, with one end thicker than the other. Don't worry: Set the stone to your string, so that the top is level. Then add a small flat stone, known as a shim, underneath your larger stone, and that will make it level all around (figure G). If you don't have any shims lying around, you can chip away at some large stones with your chisel to create some.

	Figure H
	The tiered walls blend with the terrain of the yard and the existing stone steps — and help protect the sloped portion of the yard from erosion.

Jointing the Top Cap

The final step to building each wall is jointing the top cap. The jointing is very important because you don't want any water sitting in open joints. Start by filling in the joints with mortar. (Dean and Derek prefer their mortar slightly dry, which makes it easier to pack in, and give it a brush finish.) Use a trowel and jointer to pack the joints until they are slightly recessed (figure H). Then smooth the mortared joints by brushing them with an inexpensive paintbrush.

Also remove excess mortar from the joints on the face of the wall. This step should be done when the mortar has set a bit, but before it dries. Use the jointer to dig out the mortar until it is uniformly recessed about 1-2 inches. This will give you a wall that looks like a dry-stack farm wall, but that has the strength of concrete. Smooth the joints with a paintbrush, after they have been uniformly recessed.

Once your first wall is completed, you can repeat the same steps for your additional walls.

Finishing Touches

Since your new retaining walls will need something to retain, spread loam behind each tier and add landscaping. For Dean and Derek's project, they replanted the Hosta plants that they had saved from the original landscaping.

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RESOURCES :

South Shore Loam and Mulch
Website: www.ssmulch.com