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10 Basic Rules for Building Dry Stacked Walls
You need to
start your wall 3" - 6" below grade so that it
cannot be shifted at its base.
 2.
Break the Joints.
A strong wall
needs to be laid much like a brick wall - always one
over two, two over one.
Retaining walls need to have a certain amount of
pitch back - or batter - about 1" back for every 12"
of height. This rule applies only to retaining
walls, but accent walls also benefit aesthetically
and, to a degree, structurally from this
construction technique.
4. Use tie through stones.
These are stones that go all the way through the
wall to help bind it together. They should be spaced
approximately 2 feet apart throughout the wall.
 5.
Always pitch stones toward the center of the wall.
Be sure your stones either lie flat or pitch back.
If they pitch out, they will cause the stones on top
of them to slide outward and destroy your wall.
6. Larger Stones on the bottom.
It just makes sense that larger stones should be on
the bottom of a drywall for a strong base.
Exceptions would be the tie through stones and cap
stones, which will help structurally.
Cap stones are
necessary for 2 reasons:
-
They help
hold the top of the wall together, and
-
They keep
out moisture and eliminate frost damage.
8. Choose the correct face on the stone.
Every stone can be laid in a dry stacked wall; you
just need to see its face. In a dry stacked wall,
the stones always lie down flat, so generally the
face is the largest flattest edge. Seeing the right
face in a large pile of stones takes some degree of
experience.
9. Fill center with stones and dirt.
The center of the wall needs to be laid with fairly
tight fitting stones and then leveled off with dirt.
10. Fill cracks in the face with slivers.
After your wall is complete, fill any cracks in the
face with small slivers or chips to help tighten the
wall and increase its structural integrity.
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