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Digging in
When terracing a hill, always work
from the bottom up. The crew began
by digging a 12-in.-wide x 7-in.-deep
trench along the edge of the sidewalk,
being careful not to disturb the soil
below. They smoothed the base, making
sure it was level with the horizon
(which is typically not parallel with the
grade of the sidewalk).
The next step is to spread a 2-in. layincrements
before starting the project.
The maximum allowed height for a
dry-stacked stone wall is 4 ft. Because
this site’s walls are less than 24 in.
high, they do not require the installation
of drain tile. If they were higher
than 2 ft., they would have needed a
perforated drainpipe under the base
(see illustration, opposite), and the first
12 in. of stones would need to be 18 in.
wide front-to-back.
er of compactable three-quarter-clear
gravel, which is angular and contains
no crushed material. The angled surfaces
of the stones help to lock them
in place, preventing shifting, and the
absence of crushed material allows water
to drain more easily. (Scott says you
can use three-quarter-minus gravel for
this purpose but only if you have sandy,
good-draining soil.)
Pack the 2-in. layer using a power
Cutting stone
For most of the project, you can pick
through the stones to find a good fit,
but sometimes you need a custom
shape or size. You can use these
methods for cutting stone:
• Chisel and hammer (score and tap
along the score line with the chisel
several times)
• Maul (whack and hope to get lucky)
• Diamond-blade gas saw (rental)
• Hydraulic splitter
Get the free stone mobile app at
splitter
Some stones have visible grain lines that http:/ / gettag.mobi
To watch Scott
may indicate where they are likely to demonstrate how
to use a hydraulic
split, but in most cases your results will
stone splitter,
depend on luck. You (and any bystanders
or helpers) should always wear eye
scan this
tag or visit
HandymanClub.
and hearing protection when cutting or com/magazine.
breaking stone. — CB
D
For times when
a stone’s fit is
almost (but not
quite) perfect,
Scott’s crew keeps
a bucket of limestone
chips handy
to prop the gap.
These shims become
tightly affixed
under the
weight of the wall.
E
Stone shim
F
Stone shim
Each row of stones is stepped back (battered)
1/4 in. along the front faces. It’s a
subtle graduation, apparent only when
compared with a level. Battering adds significant
strength to a dry-stacked wall.
Put a stone sliver (shim) in any wedge-shape openings along the back sides; then fill
behind it with gravel. The shim prevents gravel from sneaking through the spaces.
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