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- 1). Put some type or marker or paint down to outline where you plan to install the wall and call 811 before digging. This federally-mandated number from the Common Ground Alliance (CGA) protects you from personal harm, fines, and halting utility service for your entire neighborhood.
- 2). Measure the area for the stone wall with the tape measure. Use these measurements to calculate how much stone, granite 57 stone, and mortar roughly is needed. Thin stacking stone is about 35-feet-squared, medium is 30-feet-squared, and thick is 25-feet-squared. The granite 57 stone covers 33-feet-squared of wall face with a depth of 6-inches. One bag of Quikrete Mason's Mix lays about 11 8-inch by 8-inch by 16-inch blocks.
- 3). Plan a drainage system for the wall. Because mortar seals up the wall, water can not seep through if the wall is being used as a retaining wall. The subsequent pressure pushing on the back of the wall will eventually destroy the structure.
- 4). Dig out the foundation bed with the shovel. For walls under 3 feet, dig 4 inches deep and 12 inches wide. For walls within 3 to 4 feet tall, dig 6 inches deep and 18 inches wide. Any wall over 4 feet should only be built in consultation with an engineer and following the engineer's specifications, as opposed to the advice in this guide.
- 5). Dig out dirt behind the wall in order to later pour in a porous drainage material.
- 6). Pack down the soil in the foundation trench.
- 7). Pour concrete mix into the foundation bed, bearing in mind that the top of the foundation need not be uniformly smooth because the stones stack above it will obscure the concrete. Optionally, some builders make sure the foundation is level to use as a level reference when constructing the wall. Wait 24 hours after laying the foundation for the concrete to set.
- 8). Lay the Concrete Masonry Unit block, or CMU block. These manufactured concrete blocks 8 inches by 8 inches by 16 inches form a strong structure for the wall. Begin at one end of the wall and plan on placing the first block toward the back of the foundation to leave 3 to 8 inches of foundation room in front to lay stones and mortar. Gather a trowel full of Quikrete Mason's Mix and spread the mortar in the area where the CMU block will be placed.
- 9). Place the CMU block in place over the mortar and tap the top of the block gently with the trowel or rock hammer until the mortar is pressed out from under the block a bit and the joint of mortar between foundation and block measures 3/8 inch. Check with the level to ensure the block sits level.
- 10
Repeat the process for the remaining blocks in that same row, placed end-on-end until they reach the other end of the wall. Keep the mortar joint 3/8 inch and check every block for levelness, adding mortar under the block to keep it level if needed. - 11
Place wall ties between the rows of block for use later in connecting to the stacked stone in front. - 12
Begin the second row on top of the first row of CMU block, but this time break the CMU block into 8-inch by 8-inch by 8-inch pieces and use that size for the second row. This forces alternation between rows and increases the strength of the wall. Lay each row like the first, with the same mortar joint and attention to levelness. Add rows until the finished height is reached. - 13
Install the drainage, which begins with spreading granite 57 stone, a gravel, behind the wall. About 2 inches of space should be between the stone wall and the dirt behind it. Fill in the gravel to a depth of roughly 12 inches, making one end higher than the other for a gradual slope. The slope should drain away from the house, if applicable. - 14
Insert a sock pipe or perforated drain pipe on top of the gravel bed, laying it so that the lower end of the pipe exits from behind the wall out the side. - 15
Continue filling the back of the wall with the granite 57 stone up until 6 inches from the top of the wall. Fill the last 6 inches with mulch or top soil. - 16
Set up a mason's line before installing the stone. Drive a stake into the ground at one end of the wall so that it stands where the front of the wall will be and then drive a stake in at the other end, also where the front of the wall will be. Tie a string or line between the stakes around where the second or third row of stacking stones will sit and using the level to make sure the string is taut and perfectly level. Reattach the string at a higher point on the stakes for reference when the rows build above the line, using the level each time. For curved walls, use more stakes between the end points and make each connecting string level. - 17
Install the stone face to the wall. Begin by using the trowel to spread out a layer of Quikrete mortar on the foundation where the first stone will be placed, making the layer 1-inch thick. Also place 1 to 2 inches of mortar on the CMU block wall between the block and the stone face. - 18
Push the stone into place, moving it slightly side-to-side and rotating to feel for a solid fit. Then tap the stone into place with the rock hammer. - 19
Spread mortar or use smaller stone pieces to fill in the space between the stone and the CMU block. - 20
Continue the process to lay the rest of the stones, using a level while working and checking the mason's line for reference. The torpedo level checks the uniform levelness of most of a row, while the smaller level can access the level between two stones. Use a smaller stone chip as a prop for any stone that needs leveling, and remember to not line up the rows of stones vertically as this creates unattractive and unstable vertical gap lines. - 21
Reshape a stone piece if necessary with the rock hammer or a stone saw. - 22
Cap the stone wall with larger, flat pieces of stone with a thickness of approximately 3 inches. Mortar the top of the wall first before placing a cap piece on top, and set the cap stone so that it hangs over the front of the wall by 1 to 2 inches. Flagstone works excellently in this application. - 23
Clean up the appearance of the wall at the end by brushing out any remaining mortar from the surface of the stone with a wire brush. This prevents the stone from developing a discoloration due to contact with the mortar.
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